


Serendipity

by ihearttvsnark, Sxymami0909



Series: To Know Someone [1]
Category: Smallville
Genre: Action, Angry Chloe, Betrayal, Computer Hacking, Crime Fighting, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Friendship, Gen, Green Arrow - Freeform, Green Lantern - Freeform, Justice Leauge, Lex Luthor is a Monster, Multi, Protective Oliver, Sassy Chloe, Slow Burn, mild violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-02
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-02-19 15:05:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 234,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2392718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ihearttvsnark/pseuds/ihearttvsnark, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sxymami0909/pseuds/Sxymami0909
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being fired from the Planet, Chloe discovers that there is another Luthor in the world and sets out to track the woman down in Star City. She ends up with a lot more than she bargained for when she meets Oliver Queen and his two best friends. As they head to Metropolis to take on a common enemy, Chloe and Oliver start to realize just how connected they truly are.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Timeline:** This story is AU, but has a canon background up until Chloe is fired from the Daily Planet in season 7 with a few minor changes.

Chloe rested on her knees in front of the bedroom closet that she shared with Lois at the Talon apartment. She pushed things aside, shoes flying every which way in search of the medium sized box that she’d been hiding amongst their things for the past few weeks. One month ago Lex had fired her from the Daily Planet and ever since then; Chloe had spent ninety percent of her time trying to find something to use against the billionaire to take him down once and for all.

She was sick and tired of letting people like Lex Luthor get away with murder and not just figuratively speaking. Chloe had been saying she was going to bring Lex down since she found her Mother locked in one of his facilities just over a year ago. With everything that had happened since then though, somewhere along the line her search for justice had been pushed to the backburner, but not anymore.

Chloe was tired of being the victim. It was time to stand up and fight back for what she believed in and she was pretty sure she’d stumbled on the perfect information to help her do it. She let out a small ‘ah ha’ when she finally got to the box and pulled it out of the closet. She gripped it with both hands and pushed herself off the floor, making her way back into the living room where her cousin was impatiently waiting.

Chloe knew when she called Lois home from work she’d been a bit cryptic, but she hadn’t wanted to say anything about what she found over the phone, just in case. She stopped in front of the coffee table and balanced the box on her knee as she pushed off the cover. Chloe gave Lois a grin, put the box down on the table, and proceeded to take out all the papers. File after file, color coded, highlighted, cross referenced, paper clipped together.

By the time she was finished unloading the box, everything was scattered across the table. She crouched down near the files and glanced up at her cousin. “Okay, I know I was sort of sketchy on the phone before, sorry, but I have my reasons,” She said, “Now before I tell you what’s going on, I need you to promise me you won’t say anything to Clark.” She said quietly, the look in her eyes serious.

Lois raised an eyebrow and simply stared at her cousin as she wondered what the hell was going on. Chloe had called her at work and asked her to come to Smallville right away but aside from assuring her that no one they knew was hurt or dead, she hadn’t given her any details. It had been easy enough for Lois to get away from the paper, she just claimed she had a meeting with a source, and then she’d spent the entire two hour drive trying to figure out what Chloe could possibly need to tell her that was so urgent. She was pretty sure she’d considered and rejected every scenario under the sun and the fact that she’d been home for over twenty minutes and Chloe still hadn’t told her anything was destroying the tiny shred of patience she had.

It had been over a month since Lex had fired Chloe for whatever trumped up reason he’d come up with and Lois was still waiting for her cousin to break down over losing her dream job. She’d obviously been working on something; Lois had come home from work and found her slumped over the table drooling on her keyboard more than once over the past few weeks. Chloe kept telling her that it was nothing and she was just keeping herself busy. Lois respected her privacy to a point but if Chloe was finally ready to clue her in, Lois wanted to hear every detail.

“I’m not going to say anything to Smallville,” she insisted when Chloe continued to just stare at her instead of filling in the blanks, like why the entire table was now covered in papers. “You know my loyalty is always to you first,” Lois reminded her. Dating Clark was still a new thing for her and she was still trying to wrap her mind around his super powers. She couldn’t believe Clark had finally let her in on the big secret after all these years. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and motioned toward Chloe. “Come on, cuz, the suspense is killing me. What is going on?” she asked.

Chloe bit her lower lip before nodding and dropping her gaze to the table. She scanned the papers before picking up a small stack at the end that was full of highlights and scribbles. She handed it over to Lois as she spoke. “For the past month I’ve been going over all my old research on Lex. It’s no secret that all these years Clark and I have never been able to nail him on anything concrete.” She said, pausing and giving her cousin a chance to digest that information.

“So I decided it was about time I started looking again. Especially since we know Lex was the one who killed Lionel, we just couldn’t prove it…well technically we still can’t, But,” She said with a grin, “I might have found something better.” She pointed at the papers. “I decided to do a search into Lionel’s background; I thought maybe that would help me tie something to Lex.”

She said while meeting her cousin’s eyes.

“Instead I found out that Lionel had another child. A daughter with Pamela Jenkins…Lex’s nanny,” She said her eyes bright. “Lionel of course had her sent away. I was able to find out she was in St. Louise’s Orphanage in Metropolis for a while before something happened and she wound up leaving or Lionel took her back, I’m not really clear on that the information didn’t go into detail.” She told her cousin with a frown.

“But I was able to track her down and long story short after graduating from Harvard she went into Marine Biology, there’s a whole block of time missing between her job as a Marine Biologist and her current position at Queen Industries in Star City. But that’s where she is right now. In California…a plane ride away.” Chloe said lightly, but there was a clear spark in her eyes as she gazed at her cousin.

“Okay,” Lois said slowly. She wasn’t surprised that Chloe had been investigating Lex; she’d assumed that he was part of what had been occupying her time. They all knew that Lex had pushed Lionel out of that window an effort to find out information about Clark, but there was no proof. The grainy photo of Lex standing at the window only proved that he’d been present in the office after Lionel fell or jumped as Lex claimed. The police already knew that he’d been there but since they were too afraid to go up against the billionaire, they had closed the investigation into Lionel’s death, ruling it a suicide.

Lois didn’t understand what some mystery daughter who lived in California had to do with anything. Lionel having a daughter with the nanny was scandalous, but she didn’t see how it would help bring down Lex or why Chloe was so excited about her only being a plane ride away. Hawaii was only a plane ride away too, but that didn’t mean they were going on vacation anytime soon.

“You’re going to have to give me more to go on here, Chlo. What’s the big deal?” she asked.

Chloe rolled her eyes a pointed to the papers on her cousin’s lap. “I’m going to tell her who she really is Lois and I’m going to convince to her  help me bring Lex down, starting with her getting half of everything, including Luthor Corp.” She said matter of factly. “I’m flying out to California tomorrow, I already booked a flight.” She said quickly while standing up.

“I’m sorry, you did what?” Lois cried incredulously. She tossed the papers aside and jumped up from her spot on the couch. Chloe had obviously snapped and lost her mind. It was the only explanation for why she was acting like hopping on a plane and going to California to talk to a stranger who happened to be a bastard Luthor child like it was the most natural thing in the world. “There are so many problems with what you just said, but let’s start with the basics. Chloe, what makes you think this woman would even want to help you?” she asked.

Chloe swallowed hard and paused in her pacing. The truth was, she wasn’t sure this Tess person would help her or let alone care what she had to say. But she needed to try. She couldn’t keep letting Lex get away with all the crap he pulled and so far this was the most promising lead she’d been able to stumble on. Chloe crossed her arms over her chest as she met her cousin’s gaze. “Well, I can appeal to her business side. She works for Queen Industries and has for some time. She’s pretty high ranking as far as the business hierarchy goes.” She told her.

“Luthor Corp is one of their biggest competitors…and something like this has the possibility to not only bring down Luthor Corps. stock, but it could potentially give Queen Industries controlling access over Luthor Corp if Tess get’s half the company and the buys shares from board members.” She said as she took in the incredulous look on Lois’s face. Chloe sighed. “Lo, it’s worth a shot, what could it hurt?” She asked with a shrug, letting her arms fall to her sides.

“All right,” Lois said. She could see that Chloe really wanted to do this and she knew how stubborn her cousin could be when she put her mind to something. It was a family trait. Lois decided she was going to have to try a different approach and make sure that Chloe had really thought this through. “That sounds really great from a business perspective and maybe it’ll score this Tess person points with her boss, but have you thought about how it’s going to affect her on a personal level?” she asked. 

Lois admittedly didn’t know much about Fortune 500 companies but she knew how people worked. No matter how devoted a person was to his or her job, it wasn’t likely that person would be okay with having his or her entire life turned upside down just to help the company succeed. “How would you feel if someone showed up out of the blue and told you that you were related to the devil?”

Chloe pursed her lips. She had thought about that and while no one wanted to hear they were related to a monster she rationalized that everyone deserved to know where they came from. “I considered that and while I’m sure it probably isn’t going to be the easiest thing for her to hear, don’t you think she deserves to know?” She asked. “I mean sure I don’t doubt the shock factor or even the confusion or pain…but don’t you think she has questions about her past?” She asked, light in her eyes as she once again motioned to the papers on the table. “Questions that I have answers to. I can’t not go Lois…I have to do this.” She said determination in her voice.

“This might be the only way to actually bring Lex down if we can’t hold him accountable for his crimes. Isn’t that important? With all the people he’s hurt and experimented on? This is my chance Lois and I need you to back me up.” She told her quietly.

“Chloe, you know I’m going to have your back no matter what,” Lois told her firmly. She would fully support her cousin if she decided this was what she wanted to do, but Lois wanted to make sure she’d thought of every possibility. “I get what you’re saying and I agree that everyone should know where they come from, but what if she doesn’t want to know? You said she graduated from Harvard, right? She must be pretty smart and not to knock your amazing computer skills, but if you could find this information, chances are she could too. What if she already knows and she doesn’t care?” she asked.

Chloe shook her head. “She doesn’t. I spent months going through files, decrypting data. I’d like to meet someone out there as good with computers as me, Harvard graduate or not. She doesn’t know about this. There are only three people who know and two of them are dead.” She told her cousin softly. “I appreciate your concern Lois, but I’m doing this.” She told her sternly before her face softened. “I know you’re worried, but it’s going to be fine.”

“Okay, at least let me go with you,” Lois said. She loved her cousin, but she had never left Kansas before and now she was planning on traveling to California and hunting down a woman to tell her that she was actually the long lost heir to a family of psychos. That didn’t really seem like the kind of thing anyone should do alone.

Chloe shook her head. “You can’t,” She said lightly. “You’re going to be here covering for me while I’m gone because you know as well as I do that there’s no way Clark would approve of this. So I need you to be my buffer.” She told her. “I’ll only be gone two days. I promise. I already have the trip mapped out I know exactly where I’m going. It’ll be fine.” She said as she moved towards the table and started putting some of the papers back in the box.

“I promise to call when I land and before I take off to come home.” She told her cousin before she could object. “My bag is already packed and I have proof on my side,” She said with a confidence she wasn’t quite sure she possessed.

Lois frowned. She knew Chloe had a point. Despite his super human abilities, Clark wasn’t the most observant person. It would be easy enough to keep him from noticing that Chloe was gone, but he would definitely notice if they both up and disappeared, even if it was only for two days. She also knew that Chloe was right not to tell him what she was planning. Clark still had a hard time accepting that Lex was an evil bastard. He had fond memories of their friendship and Lois knew there was a part of him that always hoped he’d be able to save Lex someday. She wasn’t optimistic about that in the slightest, but she understood why Clark wanted to hold onto that last bit of hope. She also understood why Chloe couldn’t.

“I will cover for you here but I expect constant updates,” she said. Lois gave her cousin a hard stare so she would know she meant business. “Chlo, let’s say this woman is receptive and doesn’t toss you out of her office the second you start talking about her rotten family tree. Do you really think she’ll agree to come here and fight Lex? That’s a dangerous request,” she pointed out. They were talking about a man who killed his own father. Lois doubted Lex would have any problem getting rid of a half-sister who tried to put in a claim to his fortune.

Chloe opened and closed her mouth. She hadn’t actually thought about that. What if she went through all this trouble, found this woman and she was too scared to help? She swallowed heavily before shaking her head. “If she’s got any Luthor in her at all and isn’t a horrible person, I would think she’d rise to the challenge and jump at the chance to help.” She told her before shrugging. “But again, I won’t know until I try.” She said softly.

“It’s not like Lex has never tried to hurt one of us and yet we’re all still here. We can handle him.” She told her.

“That’s true,” Lois said even though she wasn’t convinced. She knew Lex had hurt Chloe a lot over the years and Lois understood her desperate need to make Lex pay for all the horrific things he had done in his life. But she still wasn’t sure tracking down a stranger and more or less blowing up her life and then asking her for help was the best way to go about things. Lois tried to put herself in the other woman’s position. If someone came and told her that her whole life was a lie, she probably would want to get back at that person.

She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment as she watched her cousin. The determination on Chloe’s face told Lois that there was definitely no talking her out of this. “Is there anything else you need me to do while you’re gone?” she asked.

Chloe pursed her lips. “Actually yea, there is.” She said before moving towards the kitchen counter and grabbing her purse. She dug into it and pulled out a thumb drive before making her way over to her cousin. “I’ve been banned from the Daily Planet building courtesy of our favorite billionaire. What are the chances that you think you can stick this into his computer and copy his files for me?” She asked knowing that if anyone was as sneaky as she was it was Lois.

“Sounds like fun,” Lois replied. She took the drive from her cousin and walked over to the table, sliding it into her purse. For someone who claimed to be a hands-on editor, Lex spent more time out of his office than he did in it so Lois didn’t think it would be too hard for her to get access. She’d just have to bribe one of the interns into distracting the security guard who paced the executive floor while she snuck into his office. “Are you looking for anything specific?” she asked. Lois knew her cousin had attempted to hack into Lex’s computers and security systems a lot over the years and some attempts had been more successful than others.

Chloe shook her head. “Not at the moment. I just want to see what he’s working on right now.” She said with a small grin. “You know what they say keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Lex definitely falls into the enemy category.” She told her. “Plus I want to see if he’s using any of the Planet servers to store information about what happened to Lionel or anything that can implicate him in his murder.” Her brows furrowed and she pursed her lips. “I’m telling you there still needs to be a video of Lex shoving him out the window with all the security Lionel had.” She said a hint of frustration in her voice.

She knew Lex well enough to know if there was video of it, he’d keep it so he could watch it over and over again. That was just the type of sadistic, cocky thing he would do, thinking that no one would ever find it. But if there was one, she would.

“That’s a good motto to subscribe to, cuz,” Lois said. She took a seat on the couch again. She’d always thought it was strange too that none of the security cameras had captured anything except Lionel falling out the window. The whole thing screamed “cover up” to her but until they found proof, it was just speculation that no one was going to listen to. Lois could see why having someone with a connection to the Luthor family on their side might open some doors for them and she was fully prepared to get on board with anything that would take Lex down. She just worried that Chloe was getting her hopes up and there were a lot of things that could go wrong since she was basically putting all her eggs in a stranger’s basket.

Chloe saw the look on her cousin’s face and she let out a small sigh as she walked over to the couch and pushed some papers aside before sitting in the coffee table in front of her Lois. “Hey,” She said getting her attention and when she glanced up Chloe gave her a small smile. “This is going to work Lo, and if it doesn’t…then we find a different way and keep on trying.” She said softly. “If we don’t do something though, he’s just going to keep on hurting people. It’s time we fight a little fire with fire.”

“I agree that we need to stop sitting around and just waiting for him to attack someone else,” Lois said. She sighed and then offered her cousin a smile. “You’re right, Chlo. This plan is unorthodox to say the least, but maybe that’s why it will work. It would be pretty poetic if Lex’s long lost sister was the one who finally brought him down once and for all.” She smirked at the thought. Lex was a cocky bastard and he considered himself untouchable. It was time to cure him of that notion and Lois really hoped this long-lost sister would be the one to help them do it.

 

______

 

Lois stood near the elevator on the executive floor, frowning as she furiously typed random messages into the notepad feature on her phone. She could see the guard watching her out of the corner of her eye and she sighed loudly and kept typing. The elevator doors opened and the intern, Josh, Jeff, something like that stepped out and proceeded to spill his coffee and the giant stack of file folders he was carrying everywhere. He swore loudly and the guard immediately rushed toward the supply closet while Lois carefully moved back like she was avoiding the spilled coffee, never taking her eyes off the phone. The guard came back with a bundle of paper towels and the second his back was turned, she slipped the phone in her pocket and made her way down the hall to Lex’s office.

She had seen him leave nearly an hour earlier and she’d tried to focus on the story she’d been writing so she didn’t make anyone suspicious by charging up to the executive floor immediately after he left the building. She made sure the guard was still busy and wrapped the hem of her shirt around her hand before pushing open the door to Lex’s office. Lois didn’t waste any time. She pulled the thumb drive out of her pocket and attached it to the computer, careful to avoid touching the computer itself.

While she waited to hear the beep that would let her know the download was complete, Lois leaned over the desk to see what Lex had been working on. She saw the mockups for the next issue and what looked like a list of charity events. Lois tried not to be disappointed; it wasn’t like she had expected him to leave something earth shattering just sitting out on his desk for her to find.

“It would be nice though,” she muttered to herself just as the small beep sounded. Lois pulled the drive out of the computer and slipped it back into her pocket. She walked to the door and once again used her shirt to cover the handle as she pulled it closed at her back. She could hear Joe or Jason chatting with the guard and she smiled to herself as she reached for her cell phone again. He was earning that lunch she’d promised him. Lois headed the opposite way down the hall, planning to take the stairs down a level and then get in the elevator. She rounded the corner and collided with a hard male body.

“Watch it, buddy.” Lois raised her eyes from her phone to glare at the person and found herself on the receiving end of a disapproving look from Clark Kent. “Hi, Smallville,” she said brightly.

Clark frowned at his girlfriend glancing in the direction she'd just come from. His brows creased as he looked back at her. He really hoped that she hadn't been snooping in Lex's office. It was bad enough that Chloe had gone out of her way to get on Lex's bad side before he fired her, he didn't need the same thing happening to Lois. He arched an eyebrow in her direction. "Please tell me you're not coming from Lex's office," he whispered while leaning in closer to her.

He was really trying to be the bigger person here and attempt to help Lex out from this dark phase he'd gotten himself trapped in. Clark was willing to give him another chance if he promised to change, but if Chloe and Lois kept sneaking around the two men were never going to be able to get back on the right track.

“I was, but don’t worry, he wasn’t there,” Lois replied. She knew there was no point in lying since there was no other reason she would be on this floor. However, she had no intention of telling Clark the entire truth. She’d made a promise to Chloe, but she also knew that Clark would not like what they were doing.

“He censored another one of my articles and I wanted to give him a piece of my mind.” There was enough truth in the statement that she hoped Clark would buy it. Lex had been censoring a lot of her political pieces and every time she complained, he reminded her that she could easily go back to the Inquisitor.

“What are you doing up here?” Lois asked, attempting to change the subject before Clark put too much thought into it. She stepped forward, closing some of the distance between them and ran her hand over his broad chest. A shiver went down her spine at the feel of his hard muscles and she moved even closer so there was less than an inch of space between their bodies. Maybe she could distract both of them.

Clark opened his mouth to tell her that she really shouldn't push Lex's button's so much when Lois stepped into his personal space. He swallowed hard as one of his hands fell to her hip, before he glanced around to make sure no one was watching them. He looked back at her and gave her a sheepish look. "Hi," he said quietly.

He hadn't seen her too much today because he spent most of his morning running around Metropolis as The Blur. He knew now that Lois knew his secret she didn't mind that he disappeared at the drop of a hat. Plus it was a huge relief to him not having to lie to her anymore or have Chloe cover for him. He shook himself out of his thoughts and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Hi yourself,” Lois replied. She put her phone back in her pocket and wrapped both her arms around his neck. She could see that he was coming around, but she knew if she gave him too much time to think, he’d find something else to lecture her about and she really didn’t want to waste either of their time doing that. It was so rare that they got a minute alone when they were at work and even though she knew James-that was his name- and the security guard were still just around the corner, she intended to take full advantage of what time they did have.

“How did your super saves go this morning?” she asked. Lois stood on her tiptoes and placed a light kiss against Clark’s jaw while her fingertips teased the end of his hair. “Is Metropolis a safe place once again?” she asked as she kissed him again, closer to his ear. Her heart was starting to race and she knew he’d be able to hear it. She wasn’t going to lie; knowing how his powers worked was pretty hot.

Clark swallowed hard, his adam's apple bobbing up and down in his throat as both hands tightened on Lois's hips. He was still getting used to the whole relationship thing with Lois though it didn't feel nearly as odd as he expected it to at first.

He heard her heartbeat pick up speed at the mention of his powers and he grinned slightly. Had he known it was going to be such a turn on for her, Clark most likely would have told her sooner. He lifted one hand, cupping her cheek and turning her face to him. He pressed a light kiss against her lips before pulling back and giving her a warm smile.

"Things went good and as far as I can tell all is calm in Metropolis for the moment," he told her lightly his smile widening. "How was your morning?"

“Good,” Lois replied. “It’s even better now.” She kissed him again, drawing it out until she was desperate for air. She pulled back slowly, smiling at the faint blush she saw on Clark’s cheeks. The man had super powers but one little kiss was enough to make him self-conscious. She found it adorable. “I really should get back to work.”

She let her hand drift over his chest again. She wanted to call Chloe and let her know that she’d gotten the files and see if she’d arranged an appointment with Tess Mercer yet. Her cousin had called her earlier from the hotel she had checked into in Star City to let her know that she’d made it and everything was going according to plan so far.

“But if you’re interested, I might have some time this afternoon if you want to buy me lunch.” Lois flashed her best smile.

Clark nodded as he ran a hand lightly up and down her back. "Yeah, I'd like that." He said while dropping his hands and slipping them into his pockets.

"Unless you want to hang out at the apartment." He said, pausing, "Is Chloe going to be around? I stopped by the Talon earlier because I need her help with something real quick but she wasn't there." He told her quietly, the hint of a frown making its way to his face.

Damnit, Lois thought, but she kept the smile on her face as her mind tried to come up with a valid excuse. She hadn’t taken into account that Clark might need Chloe for something. “I think Chloe said something yesterday about running errands today. You know how your to-do list can build up when you neglect it for too long.” She waved her hand dismissively. “But maybe we should hang out at the farm instead. We can have more privacy there,” she told him pointedly as she let her fingernails scrape over the back of his neck.

Clark frowned at Lois's words and the dismissive tone of her voice. He was going to ask her about it until he felt her nails against his the back of his neck. He felt a chill go down his spine and he caught her gaze as he smiled. "I'd like that. We don't get enough time alone and I know part of that is my fault." He told her quietly.

"I'm sorry about that," he said lightly before leaning in and pressing a quick kiss against her lips, lingering there for a second before pulling away. Clark opened his mouth to ask her what time he should pick her up when he frowned and tilted his head to the side, the sound of sirens hitting his ears.

“It’s okay,” Lois said. She honestly didn’t blame him for having to rush off all the time now that she knew why he was constantly disappearing on her. She knew he felt guilty, but Lois understood there were going to be times when the world needed him more than she did. She would never stand in the way of that and she just wished she could make Clark see that he didn’t have to constantly apologize for being a hero.

“I know that look,” she said when he tilted his head to the side once again. “Go,” Lois said. She placed one last kiss on his lips. “I’ll be here when you get back and if it takes awhile, text me. I’m not going anywhere,” she added, wanting him to understand that she wasn’t just talking about the afternoon. Lois had every intention of being in this relationship for the long haul. She’d never been the commitment type and it was still a big, scary word, but she’d never felt anything like what she felt for Clark before. She knew what they had was special. 

Clark's expression softened as he cupped her cheek. "Thank you." He said softly before leaning in and pressing a kiss against her lips. He pulled back a minute later studying her face as his heart warmed. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten so lucky with Lois. All those years he had spent thinking he was in love with Lana, he wasn't quite sure how he could have confused the feeling.

What he had now, with Lois...it was the most amazing thing he'd ever felt. He was almost a hundred percent positive that she was going to be the person he spent the rest of his life with and having her know and accept all parts of him made him the happiest he'd ever been. "I'll be back soon and we'll figure things out for tonight," he promised before giving her another quick kiss and speeding off leaving nothing, but a gust of wind behind him.

“Go get ‘em, honey,” Lois said softly. She smiled to herself as she glanced back over her shoulder, tempted to stroll past Lex’s office and see if he was back yet. She decided it probably wasn’t a good idea to press her luck. She jogged down the stairs again and waited for the elevator on the next floor. Instead of pressing the button for the bullpen, she hit the button for the street level exit. As soon as the doors opened, Lois made her way outside and put some distance between herself and the building. She didn’t want any nosy reporters overhearing her conversation.

She found a bench that was just off the path and sat down, pulling out her cell phone and pressing Chloe’s number on the speed dial. Lois brought the phone to her ear and waited impatiently for her cousin to pick up.

Chloe was in the process of sorting through some papers that were spread across the bed in her hotel room trying to decide what she should and shouldn't bring to her meeting with Tess tomorrow. She was in the process of lifting up a stack of papers when her phone rang.

Chloe glanced around the room and spotted it on the dresser. She moved over grabbing it and answering it. "Hello," she said as she walked back over to the bed with her phone between her shoulder and ear.

“Hey cuz, it’s me,” Lois said. She glanced around again to make sure no one was paying any attention to her. “I got the files you requested. I ran into Clark afterward and he was suspicious, but I think I steered him off the trail.” She quickly filled Chloe in on their brief conversation and the excuse she had given Clark for Chloe not being in their apartment. “It was weak, but I think he bought it. How are things on your end?” she asked.

Chloe nodded even though her cousin couldn't see her. She figured Clark might stop by for help he usually did, which was why she'd asked Lois to run interference. "That sounds good enough for now and I'll be home late tomorrow night." She said before pushing a few papers in a pile to her left.

"Things out here are going okay so far. I got my appointment for tomorrow, though I might have lied to get it, but either way I'm in at eleven thirty. So I should know more after that." She said with a soft sigh. The plane ride hadn't been horrible and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. If she had more time she'd do a little sightseeing considering she'd never been this close to the ocean before, but priorities first.

“Desperate times,” Lois replied. She had lied to get her way in the door more than once and she knew Chloe had done the same when she’d been a reporter. It wasn’t like she could tell Tess Mercer’s assistant that she had information about who she really was and needed a few minutes of her time to discuss her diabolical brother and all the evil he has brought on the world.

“Okay, Chlo, I should get back to work. Clark’s out on an emergency and someone needs to cover both of our jobs. I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay on the west coast. Call me if anything comes up,” she insisted. She knew Chloe liked to handle things on her own, but sometimes she needed to be reminded that she didn’t have to do everything by herself.

"Will do Lo, thanks for covering for me. I'll call you when I'm back at the airport." She said waiting for her cousin's goodbye before disconnecting the phone call and going back to sorting papers.

Lois ended the call and slipped the phone into her pocket. As she got up from the bench, her stomach rumbled loudly, reminding her that she had skipped breakfast and skipping lunch too was not going to be an option. Instead of heading back toward the Planet, she walked down the street toward the sandwich shop a few blocks over. As she passed Luthor Corp., she caught sight of a familiar bald head as Lex made his way up the steps surrounded by other men in dark suits. She made a face and kept walking. She really hoped this plan of Chloe’s panned out because it was time for someone to bring that son-of-a-bitch to his knees.


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe glanced up at the large building in front of her and swallowed heavily. It was ten after eleven and her meeting with Tess was in twenty minutes. She made sure to get there early so she could canvas the building quickly and make sure she knew where she was going so she didn't end up getting lost. Making a bad first impression could make or break the way Tess saw her. If she hated her off the bat she would probably be less likely to trust her, which is something she needed the other woman to do if her plan was going to work.

Chloe took a deep breath, ran a hand over her green silk dress shirt and down her black pencil skirt, making sure she looked the part. She moved forward, folder in hand as her heels clicked purposefully against the pavement. She walked into the winding door, pushing forward with one hand until she made her way into the lobby.

The building was gorgeous and it looked even bigger from the inside. Chloe kept her eyes from widening as she moved forward, body straight, head held high. She was in the process of walking towards the elevators when she was stopped. "Excuse me ma'am, you'll need to stop here for a visitors pass before you head up to the offices."

Chloe paused and turned towards the man, her eyes dropping to his shirt and catching sight of his employee ID badge. Well it looked like this was where she started to play her part. If in fact Tess did wind up kicking her out she was going to need something to fall back on so she could get back into the building. Cue charm and charisma, two things she wasn't quite sure she possessed, but could definitely fake when need be.

She gave him a wide smile as she made her way to the visitor's station. "I'm sorry about that Carl," She said while taking her bag off her shoulder, placing it on the counter, and pulling out her ID knowing if the security here was any good he'd ask for it. "My name is Chloe Sullivan; I'm here for an eleven thirty appointment with Miss Mercer." She said lightly while handing him the ID.

He smiled taking it from her and writing something down on a sheet of paper before issuing her a visitor's badge. "Thank you Miss Sullivan," He said while glancing up with a smile. "I don't believe I've seen you here before are you new at Sterling Consultants?" He asked. Chloe's smile only brightened even though she hadn't expected the question.

She'd chosen a company she knew had been working with Queen Industries for years and that had people come in often to advise on third party business proposals and mergers, sort of an ‘is this company worth investing in’ type deal. Technically the company was just a separate branch of Queen Industries since it was owned by them even though it operated outside the company. She'd stumbled on it while doing a search on Tess, knowing that she was one of the only three or four people who worked with them directly.

Chloe nodded. "I am," She said as he handed over her badge and pointed to her shirt.

"Well, welcome aboard. Just make sure you keep this on you at all times while in the building. It has your name, visitor ID number and the company you're from on it." he told her.

"Thank you Carl, you have a great morning." She said with a grin before making her way past the visitor’s center and walking to the elevators. She pushed the button her stomach in knots as she waited ignoring her nerves. She did things like this all the time.  She needed to stop thinking and just go with it. She could freak out later when she got back to her hotel room. The elevator chimed and the doors slid open. She walked into the empty elevator and glanced at the numbers. She needed to go to the floor above the top level. That was a lot of numbers. She sighed leaning forward and pushing the button before standing quietly, purse over her shoulder, folder under her arm as the doors closed.

The elevator was moving and the door chimed a minute later making Chloe frown as she glanced at the numbers noticing it had only gone up three floors. It looked like she was about to get some company. She straightened slightly, fixing the curls in her hand with her free hand before resting it at her side as the doors slid open.

“I know that you already checked with them, Scott. That’s why I said you should check with them again,” Oliver ordered, putting extra stress on the last word as he walked into the elevator. He went to press the button for his office floor and noticed it was already lit. Scott started talking again and Oliver rolled his dark eyes heavenward as he waited for him to finish, not bothering to listen to what he was actually saying.

It wasn’t even noon and Oliver was already having a terrible day. His other job had kept him out late the night before and he’d been hoping to sleep in for a few hours, but his phone had started ringing around five a.m. and hadn’t stopped since. There was a crisis with one of the Mexican factories and there was a problem brewing at the New York offices. That was what Scott was currently blathering about in his ear instead of doing the job he was paid to do and fix it himself.

“Scott, stop talking,” Oliver interrupted when he heard the man take a deep breath, presumably to launch into another long spiel. “I already told you what to do and I suggest you don’t call me until it’s done.” His jaw clenched and Oliver forced himself not to start screaming. He hated resorting to that. “Am I making myself clear?” he asked.

“Yes, Mr. Queen,” Scott mumbled, defeated.

“Good.” Oliver ended the call without another word and resisted the urge to bash his phone against the elevator wall. Instead, he leaned forward until his head was pressed against it and closed his eyes. That was when he remembered that there had already been someone in the elevator when he’d stepped inside. Groaning inwardly, Oliver opened his eyes and glanced sideways to see who he needed to apologize to.

He’d never seen the petite blonde before. Oliver straightened up to his full height and flashed his best smile as his eyes roamed appreciatively over her curves. “Sorry about that,” he said. “It’s been one of those mornings.” Oliver glanced at her visitor’s badge and the file she held in her hand and he really hoped she wasn’t there for a meeting that he didn’t remember scheduling.

Chloe tilted her head to the side studying the man in front of her. Yup, that was definitely Oliver Queen and at least there was something the tabloids didn't lie about. He really was gorgeous. She fought the urge to let her eyes roam his body and kept them strictly on his face, amusement coloring her eyes as she watched his roam her body. Well apparently there were two things the tabloids didn't lie about. Oliver Queen ladies man, she thought sardonically. She watched his eyes drop to the folder in between her arm and she automatically tightened her group on it as she spoke.

"No worries, we all have those days where we want to throw the phone across the room because of other people's stupidity," She said the hint of a smile pulling at her lips. "Though I would advise you to hold in the urge until you get to your office because this is a pretty small space and if pieces of phone start hitting me I can't say I'll be happy about it," She joked as her eyes drifted back towards the numbers as she tried to calm her racing heart. Did she actually just say that to the CEO of Queen Industries? What in the hell was wrong with her?

“Duly noted,” Oliver replied, amused. “I think you’re safe though because if I broke it, I’d have to get a new one and it’s just a big hassle.” He lifted one shoulder in a shrug as he moved to lean against the back wall of the elevator. The way she held the folder in her hand tighter didn’t go unnoticed by him and he wondered once again what she was doing there. He started to check the calendar on his phone to see if there was a meeting he’d forgotten about and then decided to just come right out and ask. It wasn’t like her initial impression of him could get much worse after his little tirade.

“Are you here to see me?” he asked. Oliver motioned to the elevator panel. “You’re going to my floor and please forgive me, but I don’t remember scheduling a meeting.” He flashed her another smile, hoping some of his charm could cover his earlier behavior just in case this woman was someone he was supposed to be impressing.

She could practically see the charm pouring off him. Chloe arched an eyebrow at him and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning. "Quite the charmer are we Mr. Queen?" She asked, but there was no malice in her voice. "I bet that smile of yours can get you out of a lot of trouble," She joked humor dancing in her eyes, "But you don't need to worry. I'm not here to see you. My appointment is with Miss Mercer." She said while shifting back so she was leaning against the bar in the back of the elevator.

Oliver fought the urge to roll his eyes as his smile slipped. Women tended to have one of two reactions to him. They either appreciated his charm or they wanted nothing to do with him which usually meant they subscribed to the tabloid’s notion of who he really was. This woman obviously fell into the latter category. Most of the time he wasn’t annoyed by that kind of reaction; he counted on people to believe the tabloid lies that he was a vapid playboy. It kept them from asking the real questions and that suited Oliver just fine. But for some reason the fact that she was judging him pissed him off.

“My mistake,” he said as he turned his attention back to his phone. He pushed the button to access his email and scrolled through his schedule to see what his afternoon looked like. He had his own meeting with Tess later to discuss the problem in Mexico. One of them was going to have to get on a plane in the next few days and handle it in person.

Chloe bit her bottom lip at the immediate change in his demeanor and let out a small sigh. She hadn't meant to make him angry, which if she got into a tight jam later wasn't going to help her any. She debated on whether or not to say something and in the end she couldn't not. He seemed genuinely displeased by her reaction and Chloe felt sort of bad.

"I'm sorry," she started sincerely before shifting her body towards him. "That probably came out slightly more rude than I intended it too." she said truthfully, okay so maybe she'd been a little judgmental off the bat and that wasn't normally like her. She offered him a genuine smile. "It's not every day you run into CEO's in elevators and I tend to not have a filter, so I apologize if I offended you. Any chance we can redo that?" She asked while shifting the folder into her other arm and holding out a hand. "I'm Chloe Sullivan." She said lightly.

“Oliver Queen, but you obviously know that.” He shook her hand, careful not to keep her smaller hand in his longer than what was polite. He turned the name Chloe Sullivan over in his mind, trying to figure out if she was someone he should know. He didn’t think so. Tess had plenty of side projects going on at any given time and he assumed she had something to do with one of those.

The woman – Chloe – sounded sincere enough in her apology so Oliver offered another smile as the doors opened and politely waited for her to step out of the elevator first. “I’ll show you where Tess’s office is,” he said, motioning for her to follow him down the long hallway. Oliver knew there was a good chance he had overreacted to her comment given the tense morning he was having and he wanted to show her that he wasn’t a complete asshole or worse, an egomaniac who needed everyone to worship him.

Chloe gave him a bright grin as she followed him down the hallway. “Thanks, I appreciate that,” She said as she walked beside him. “You guys have a nice set-up here; I don’t think I’ve ever seen a building so environmentally friendly.” She told him.

“You know if more business owners back where I live had read that article with you about how to make the office a more eco friendly place, I’d bet they’d be saving a more money in the long run and helping the planet,” She caught the article in one of the business magazines and she was actually pretty impressed by his initiative. Oliver Queen seemed like one of the CEO’s who actually worked with his company instead of just spending the money he made from it.

“Thanks?” Oliver replied uncertainly. He wasn’t sure if she was genuinely impressed or just going with the first thing that popped into her head. Either way, Oliver thought her enthusiasm was cute, but he refrained from commenting after what had happened earlier. He held open the door for her that led to the small waiting area outside Tess’s office. He grinned at her assistant. “Hey Stella, Ms. Sullivan here has an appointment with Tess.”

Stella nodded and picked up the phone to let her know. Oliver turned back to Chloe. “It was nice to meet you. Thanks again for the…compliment on the office.” He started to walk away and then changed his mind, moving closer to Chloe and lowering his voice. “I’m not sure what you’re meeting with Tess about but she’s really big on the environmental thing. It might be a good ice breaker. Better than telling her she’s not charming,” he added. Oliver winked at her and made his way out the door toward his own office.

“That’s real cute Mr. Queen,” She called out, before rolling her eyes, but there was a smile on her lips as she sat down in one of the chairs outside the office. Well that was equal parts embarrassing and entertaining all rolled into a nice neat ball. Sometimes she really needed to learn just when to keep her mouth shut. Chloe sighed and leaned back against the seat as she gripped the folder tightly and rested it on her lap.

Her stomach clenched with anxiety as she sat there waiting to be called into Tess’s office. This was it, the moment of truth…If she went in there and Tess turned her away, well she wasn’t exactly sure where to go from there, but she supposed, she’d figure it out eventually, she always did.

Tess’s morning was not going much better than Oliver’s. She’d been briefed on the Mexico problem and she was in the middle of dealing with another problem in Metropolis. The vice president who had been in charge of the Kansas office had left a month earlier, saying the job was too much for him. Tess had just found out that he’d gone to work for Luthor Corp. She was furious and she knew Oliver was going to freak out. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to him yet and she’d received an email from Scott in the New York office telling her that Oliver was in a bad mood. She wasn’t too concerned about that because Oliver was almost always in a bad mood but she knew him well enough to push past it. There was a reason the two of them worked so well together.

She sighed when she saw the light on her phone flashing. Stella was reminding her that her appointment was waiting for her. Tess wished she had rescheduled that meeting since she wasn’t really sure what the woman wanted to sell her and she really didn’t have time to be sold on anything. But she was already there and Tess wasn’t in any hurry to give Oliver more bad news so there was no point in putting it off. She pushed the button on the intercom and told Stella to send Chloe Sullivan in.

Once Chloe got the go ahead, she stood, let out a short breath, and moved forward towards Tess Mercer’s office. She pushed open the door and walked in, smile on her face as she moved forward. She didn’t look happy and Chloe figured that didn’t really help her case. She stopped in front of the desk and held out her hand. “Good morning Miss Mercer, I’m Chloe Sullivan.” She said voice calm and friendly.

“Tess Mercer.” She rose from her chair and shook Chloe’s hand as she assessed the woman. She seemed confident, but there was a hint of nerves in her eyes, something Tess was used to seeing in people before they made presentations to her. She carried a folder in her other hand and Tess was grateful that she hadn’t walked in with a huge bag of props. She hated when people did that. She preferred meetings to be quick and precise so no one’s time was wasted. “Ms. Sullivan, please have a seat.” She gestured to the visitor’s chair across from her desk as she took her own seat once again. “What can I do for you?” she asked.

Chloe sat in one of the chairs when she saw Tess sit down and she pursed her lips. She’d already decided that when she approached Tess she was going to drop the act and be honest with the other woman from the start. The only reason she had lied to being with was because she knew she wouldn’t get an appointment otherwise. She swallowed hard and met the other woman’s eyes.

“First let me apologize, while my name is Chloe Sullivan, I do not work for Sterling Consultants. I’m a reporter for the Daily planet in Metropolis,” She winced, “Correction I was a reporter for the Daily Planet, now well I guess I’m unemployed.” She told the other woman lightly, pausing to let her take in her words and digest them.

“A reporter?” Tess repeated. She rolled her eyes. This was what happened when she didn’t take the time to actually research the person she was meeting with. She’d been ridiculously busy the past few days and when Chloe had said she was a part of Sterling, Tess hadn’t given it a second thought. “Let me guess, you’re hoping for a job with one of the Star City papers and you thought an exposé on Queen Industries would get you in the door. Sorry, no comment. Would you like to leave on your own or should I call security?” she asked.

Tess hated reporters. She had to deal with the press from time to time in her position, but she always preferred to control the setting and the circumstances. Or she liked to let Oliver handle them. He was better at it than she was because he was good at faking the charm whereas she tended to get angry. The tabloids liked to call her an ice queen. That was fine with her. She scowled when Chloe continued to sit in the chair like she hadn’t just told her to leave.

Chloe sighed. “Miss Mercer I’m not here to write an expose on Queen Industries,” She said her face serious. “I’ve done my research and compared to other corporations Queen Industries is one of the most honest out there.” She told the other woman before lifting the folder in her hand. “I was fired from the Daily planet by Lex Luthor because he doesn’t like the articles I write exposing the type of person he really is,” She said with disdain, not giving the redhead a chance to say anything before she continued.

“I was fired a month ago and since then I’ve been looking for concrete evidence to tie him to all the horrible things he’s done to people and while I understand that what I’m saying might make me sounds incredibly crazy, I stumbled on information about you, during my search through Lex’s past. I came here on a whim, to show you what I found and ask for your help.” She said quickly while letting out a long breath.

“I’m just asking for ten minutes of your time…please I promise not to even mention Queen Industries or anything involving it. I came all the way from Kansas…please Miss Mercer,” She said her eyes pleading with the other woman as she waited for an answer.

Her hand was already on the button to call security, but Tess hesitated when she heard the urgency in Chloe’s voice. She eyed the woman carefully as she considered what she was saying. Tess knew all about the kind of man Lex Luthor was. He was a business rival, probably their biggest one, but it was his other activities that really made Tess’s skin crawl. Of course, she only knew about that because of Oliver’s other activities and she knew there was no way this reporter knew about those or she’d be sitting in his office instead of hers.

Tess leaned back in her chair, expression hard. She didn’t like being lied to and she hated being used. But Chloe had said that she’d discovered something about her when she was researching Lex’s past. Tess didn’t know how that was possible. She’d only met the man a handful of times and that was always at some business function or another and the meetings had always been brief and she’d never been alone with him. She needed to know what kind of information this reporter allegedly had.

“You have five minutes, Ms. Sullivan. Five,” Tess repeated, wanting to make sure the woman understood that she was not joking. Tess was curious about what she had to say, but she was not going to give her a chance to play her.

An expression of relief crossed Chloe’s face, but was gone seconds later as she got into business mode. She leaned forward in her seat and placed the file in her hand on Tess’s desk. “Lex is ruthless when it comes to his business and that’s why most people hate him. But if people really knew the things he did,” She swallowed heavily, “The people he hurt…well they’d hate him for an entirely different reason.” She said.

“The thing is, while I have proof of these things, I don’t have any proof that ties Lex to them personally and of course, no one is willing to go up against Metropolis’s resident billionaire…or they might just end up like the Father that Lex murdered.” She said quietly while pointing to the folder. “I was looking into Lionel Luthor’s past to try and find a way to prove Lex killed him when I found those…it took a couple of weeks, but I was able to trace the information on the papers back to you.” She said before hesitating slightly.

“I do have to warn you, that when you open that file, what you see is probably going to be upsetting and I honestly didn’t come here to turn your life upside down or anything like that, but like I said before I need your help to take Lex down and I’m pretty sure this is the only way. I know you have no reason to trust me…but I’m not your enemy.” She told her voice calm eyes never wavering from Tess’s.

Tess was more confused than ever. It certainly sounded like Chloe knew about Lex’s other activities. She was a reporter after all and Tess supposed it made sense that he fired her because she was getting a little too close to who he really was. But Tess still didn’t know what any of this had to do with her or how it could possibly turn her life upside down. Tess wondered if she was being dramatic, but Chloe didn’t strike her as the type. She seemed more like she was a get to the point kind of person like Tess was.

“You don’t have to tell me that Lex Luthor is a bad man, Ms. Sullivan and I understand that his ruthlessness goes well beyond business.” Tess gave her a pointed look before she gestured to the folder. “But what does what’s in this folder have to do with me? I only know Lex through the business world,” she said.

Confusion crossed Chloe’s face at Tess’s words and she paused. What in the world was a woman working all the way in California with Queen Industries doing sitting on information about the type of person Lex was. And how did she know anyway? She had expected the other woman to think she was slightly nuts and so she’d brought proof to back-up her statements, but Chloe never thought that the other woman would already know about Lex.

She shook her head pulling herself from her thoughts as she placed a hand over the folder. “Exactly, and that’s the problem. There’s no way you could know this information unless,” Chloe paused, “Unless at some point you had a private investigator look into your background in search of your biological parents.” She told the other woman quietly, letting the words hang in the air, her chest tightening as she studied Tess’s reaction to her words.

“Excuse me?” Tess cried sharply. The fact that she was adopted was a well-kept secret that very few people knew and the ones who did would certainly not be sharing the information with a reporter. Her adoptive parents were thankfully dead and Tess had long ago covered up any and all traces to her life with them. She realized this woman would have had to dig pretty hard to find out that information and her stomach turned as she wondered what else Chloe knew about her past. “Is this about blackmail?” she asked.

Tess shook her head before Chloe had a chance to open her mouth. “No, that’s not it because you wouldn’t be talking about how evil Lex was if you were trying to extort money from me. What do my biological parents have to do with this?” she asked. Tess had never been one of those adopted children who sought them out. They had given up on her for whatever reason they had and her life had been miserable for fifteen years because of that. She didn’t care who they were. They were as dead to her as the monsters that had raised her.

Chloe had seen the hint of shock and before the other woman’s emotion’s closed off and her body stiffened. Chloe sighed this wasn’t exactly going like she’d planned, but at least Tess hadn’t kicked out her yet, that was a plus. “I…Maybe you should read the papers I brought with me. And you’re right I’m not looking for money I could care less about it. If it was about money trust me Lex would have paid me off years ago instead of trying to kill me…more than once.” She mumbled.

“He’s tried to kill you more than once? Sounds like there’s a story there,” Tess commented dryly. She took the folder from Chloe’s hand and flipped it open, trying to see once and for all why this woman was sitting in her office. She found herself looking at a dossier of her life. There were the names and old address of her adoptive parents, her school records from Harvard and her acceptance into the marine biology program that had ended with her stranded on an island. Chloe had obviously done her research. She still wasn’t seeing what any of this had to do with Lex Luthor. She was about to ask Chloe that when she came to the last few pages in the file.

There were records from the orphanage that she had lived in before she had been adopted. She saw her adoptive father’s messy signature on the certificate that released her from the orphanage’s care. She flipped to another sheet and saw the form that had been filled out when she’d been admitted to the orphanage. Her eyes widened when she read the name of the person who was listed as her biological father.

“Lionel Luthor?” she asked. Her voice was barely above a whisper. Tess’s hand shook as she looked at the last page in the file. It was a birth certificate for a baby girl born Lutessa Lena Luthor. The baby’s father was Lionel Luthor and the baby’s mother was someone named Pamela Jenkins. Tess felt like the room was spinning as she stared at the names in front of her. “Are you…is this…I…?” She couldn’t seem to latch onto a single question or thought as the information sank into her mind. “Is this some kind of trick?” she asked finally. Her voice cracked as she looked up from the file to meet Chloe’s eyes.

Chloe could see the other woman’s hand shaking slightly as she held the folder and guilt filled her as her chest tightened. She shook her head. “No,” She whispered. “I am so sorry to come here out of nowhere with this information,” She said pausing slightly. “I can’t even begin to imagine what it must feel like to have a stranger telling you this…but Miss Mercer, I’ve researched and hacked into everything imaginable to confirm that, that information is true. I wouldn’t have flown all the way out here if I wasn’t one hundred and ten percent certain.” She told her softly.

“I also realize, that because I’m the one telling you all this, you might not want to help me or you might need time to digest this information and I completely respect that, but I’m not lying or joking or playing some kind of trick on you. I live in a world where the right and wrong decisions can mean the difference between life and death and this information is the biggest break I’ve had in years.” She told the red head quietly.

Tess swallowed hard as she tried to get a grip on the emotions that were swirling through her. “You’re telling me that Lionel Luthor is my father.” Her hand flew to her mouth and Tess worried for a second that she was going to be sick. This couldn’t be real. It had to be a mistake or someone’s idea of a joke. Maybe someone had planted all of this for Chloe to find. She gripped the desk tightly with her other hand, desperate to make the room stop spinning. “This can’t be real. It can’t be,” she whispered.

The rest of Chloe’s words registered in her head and Tess eyed the woman warily. “What do you mean help you? How does…this help you?” Tess couldn’t bring herself to say the words again. Once was more than enough.

“I…” She hesitated not sure if she should bring it up now while Tess was still attempting to process the information. “Lex is untouchable at the moment. I’ve been looking into his so called extracurricular activities since I was sixteen and so far I haven’t been able to get any of the charges to stick.” She told the other woman while shifting in her seat.

“I didn’t always know what kind of person Lex was…We were friends once, hell the man married my best friend. But I’m getting off topic. You being a…Luthor by birth well you’re entitled to half of everything Lex has; half of his estate, his inheritance, but most importantly, half of his company. There’s something here. He’s hiding evidence that can tie him to all the crimes he’s committed. I know he is, but I can’t get to it, however, if we work together I think we might be able to.” She said before letting out a short breath and crossing her legs while leaning back and watching the red head.

Tess gaped at her. “You want me to go after Lex’s fortune?” She couldn’t process that. She couldn’t process any of this. Tess rubbed her hand over her head and tried to make sense of what Chloe was saying. It sounded like she was trying to get revenge on Lex and she wanted to use her to do it. “You have a lot of nerve,” she said coolly.

Chloe pursed her lips. “Maybe I do, but when you’ve seen the things I’ve seen, you realize there isn’t anything you wouldn’t do to stop what’s happened to you, from happening to anyone else.” She said quietly. She opened her purse and pulled out a business card before placing it on Tess’s desk. “My flight leaves for Metropolis tonight. If you decide not to help me, that’s fine it’s your choice, I understand.” She motioned to the folder.

“Those are the only copies of that information I have, feel free to do whatever you like with them.” She pushed herself out of the chair and stood. “And for the record, this isn’t about Lex’s fortune. He’s a cocky bastard. I know he has the untampered video footage of the night he murdered Lionel along with a mountain of other incriminating evidence because he’s just way too sure of himself not to keep it.” Chloe said while meeting Tess’s eyes.

“It’s about getting close enough to find that evidence and bring him to justice. He shouldn’t be allowed to do the things he does to people.” There was a hitch in her voice and she closed her mouth quickly. “If you don’t get in touch with me, I’ll assume you want nothing to do with me or my plan.” She told her quietly.

“Wait,” Tess said. She swallowed the lump in her throat and reached for the phone on her desk. Her hand was shaking again as she pushed the familiar buttons. “I need you to come in here. Now,” she said harshly before hanging up the phone and meeting Chloe’s eyes again. Tess wanted nothing more than to pretend this whole thing wasn’t happening. She wanted to rewind time and refuse to meet with Chloe in the first place. But she knew she couldn’t do that.

This was bigger than her. Tess heard something in Chloe’s voice that told her that she was serious. She wasn’t in this for the money or the shock value. She wanted to stop Lex from doing all the horrible things he’d been doing. Tess wasn’t sure that she was in any position to think clearly at the moment though. Her eyes drifted to the folder again and her stomach rolled over.

Chloe eyes flickered towards the phone and her heart beat sped up as she swallowed hard. “Look I don’t want any trouble, I’ll leave without security,” She said quickly. Maybe Lois had been right and this was a bad idea. “I can’t let Lex know I came here,” She told her, “If he finds out he’s going to look into why and I can’t afford that right now. So if you want me to leave I’ll leave, you can call off the guards.” She told her, body tense as she held the strap of her purse.

The door opened and Oliver walked in before Tess had a chance to say anything. “Tess, I’m busy. I don’t have time for…” His voice trailed off when he saw the look on her face. “What’s wrong?” he asked. His angry expression faded instantly as he moved to her side. Oliver glanced at Chloe, saw the panic in her eyes and the way she was clutching her purse like she was going to run any second. “What is going on?” he asked again.

“This,” Tess replied. She pushed the folder toward Oliver. “It turns out Chloe here isn’t actually a consultant but a former reporter who knows about some of Lex’s less public activities. She also let me in on something about myself.” She tapped her finger against the birth certificate, unable to say the words.

Confused, Oliver glanced back and forth between the two women before turning his attention to the paperwork in front of him. He looked at the birth certificate, scowling when he saw Lionel’s name. “Okay, so Lionel has another kid. I…” He stopped short when he saw the name of the baby and the birth date. “What?” He looked at Tess, but she just shook her head so Oliver turned to Chloe. “Is this real?” he asked quietly.

Chloe glanced between Tess and Oliver more confused than ever. Why had Tess called Oliver into the room? Aside from being competitors in business what did he have to do with this? Apparently she was going to need to do a little more research because something was off in a major way. She straightened up and nodded. “It is. I try not to make a habit of traveling hundreds of miles to bring false information to people.” She said quietly, a hint of suspicion lurking in her eyes as she glanced between them.

Oliver watched her for a moment. He could see the suspicious look in her eyes which he thought was pretty ironic considering that she had lied her way in just to drop a bomb on Tess’s lap. Tess had said that Chloe knew about Lex’s less public activities. He wondered how she knew about those and just how much information she had. She was obviously capable if she had put together a file on Tess’s life. Oliver had helped her wipe out most references to her past years ago and now this. He was having a hard time wrapping his mind around it and he could only imagine what was going through her head.

“I’ll take care of this,” he told Tess quietly. Oliver moved around the desk again and grabbed Chloe’s hand. “Don’t say anything until we’re in my office,” he warned her. He gripped her hand tightly so she couldn’t pull away and led her out of Tess’s office. “Stella, I need you to cancel Tess’s schedule for the rest of the day and then take the afternoon off.” He pulled Chloe down the hall and yanked open the door to his office. “Mary, hold my calls,” he told his assistant as they moved past her.

Once they were inside his private office, Oliver closed the door and let go of Chloe’s hand. “Have a seat,” he said. He gestured absently as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and pressed a number on the speed dial. His jaw clenched as he waited. “Hey, it’s me. Tess needs you now. She’s in her office.” He ended the call and turned back to Chloe who was standing near the doorway just staring at him. “Who are you?” he asked.

Chloe watched the man in front of her closely as she tugged the strap of her purse up before pushing it behind her as she slipped her hand inside of it, her fingers closing over her cell phone. She knew if she needed to she could call out to Clark, but then he’d know where she was and she’d risk his identity, which isn’t something she would do. She glared at Oliver Queen as she arched an eyebrow. “I told you who I am. Who are you? Because obviously there’s a lot more to Oliver Queen, than meets the eye.” She said not about to stand there and let yet another billionaire think he can go around manhandling her.

Oliver snorted as he took a seat behind his desk. “Really? You’re going to give me attitude after you just blew my friend’s life apart? All right, Ms. Sullivan, assuming that’s your name, you’re right there is a lot more to me than meets the eye. But this isn’t about me. This is about Tess. Why the hell would you come here and tell her all of that? And you can skip the part where you insult my intelligence and give me some story about how she has a right to know who she is. What’s in this for you?” he asked.

Chloe glared at him as she crossed her arms over her chest. “First off don’t presume you know me or what I’m going to say because I can bet you couldn’t guess if you tried.” She snapped. “Second, I haven’t lied to anyone. I was honest with Tess the second I stepped into her office, but with you’re stupid security protocol here, which by the way you might want to look into changing so people can’t hack their way in, I had to lie about who I was to get the appointment to talk with her.” She said anger welling in her chest with guilt not far behind.

“I need her help, there’s nothing in it for me personally except seeing Lex behind bars. Now if you’re done giving me the third degree I’m leaving. I didn’t come here to talk to you,” She told him pointedly.

“I know you didn’t come here to talk to me, but Tess wouldn’t have called me in there if she didn’t want me to know what’s going on,” Oliver snapped. He took a deep breath and tried to bite back his temper. He wasn’t going to be winning any points with Chloe if he kept yelling at her. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “Clearly you and I are not very good at communicating. Can we please try again to have a calm, rational conversation? Third time is the charm,” he added with a hopeful smile.

He had no idea who this woman was or what she wanted from Tess, but Oliver had zeroed in on the part where she wanted to see Lex behind bars. Considering that was more or less his life’s work, he needed to find out why she was determined to put him there and if she had anything useful besides the fact that Tess was his half-sister. He still couldn’t believe that.

Chloe studied him for a minute hesitating over by the door before taking a few steps closer and sitting in one of the chairs across from him. “Keep your hands to yourself, stop demanding answers from me and maybe we can,” She said in a hard voice as she placed her purse down next to her. “I understand the lack of trust. If I was in your position, I’d be the same way, but if I was trying to hurt Tess I could have taken that information and sold it to the highest bidder.” She said quietly.

“I came here looking for her help. What I don’t understand is what you have to do with this. Trust is a two way street Mr. Queen and as far as I’m concerned you have way more information about me than I do about you. You get one question and for everyone after that, that you answer I will as well.” She said matter-of-factly as she leaned back in the chair and crossed her legs meeting his gaze without blinking.

“Fair enough,” Oliver agreed. He folded his hands in front of him as he watched Chloe closely. “You said all you wanted to get out of this was the satisfaction of seeing Lex behind bars. While I fully support that, I have a long and complicated history with Lex Luthor. How do you know him?” he asked. Tess had mentioned that Chloe was a former reporter. Oliver wondered if she had worked at the Daily Planet while Lex was in charge or if she had worked for another paper and ended up losing her job because of his influence.

Chloe pursed her lips. “I met Lex when I was sixteen and he moved to Smallville, which is where I live. We were friends up until I realized the kind of person he was and,” She paused, “I’ve been messing with his experiments and projects since then attempting to try and find enough evidence to tie him to anything. But somehow any and all evidence miraculously disappears before I could get to it.” She told him thinking of all the times she’d helped Clark put a stop to the things Lex was trying to pull in Smallville and in Metropolis.

“He married my best friend,” She said skipping the part about Lex coming after and experimenting on her and the stuff about her Mother and going straight to being fired. “And a month ago he fired me from the Daily Planet because he didn’t like the stories I wrote about what he was really up to behind closed doors. Censorship at its best,” She said while shrugging.

Chloe let out a small sigh before catching Oliver’s eyes. “My turn. Why do you care about all of this?” She asked not able to help the spark of curiosity in her eye.

Oliver was taken aback by the nonchalant way she discussed Lex’s experiments. The fact that she was from Smallville and had been friends with Lex at some point in her life might explain why she had some insight, but Oliver would bet there was more to the story. He wasn’t going to push though. He could tell her motivations were genuine and she was more interested in seeing Lex pay for his crimes than in getting revenge for being fired.

“As I said earlier, Lex and I go way back. Our parents were friends before mine were killed.” Oliver swallowed hard and tried to ignore the familiar pain that welled up in his chest. “We run rival companies but the truth of the matter is that I don’t like Lex. I know what kind of person he is and I also spend a lot of my free time trying to prove it. Like you said, the bastard is good at covering his tracks and he has enough money to buy his way out of trouble.”

He was quiet for a moment, giving Chloe time to let the information sink in. Oliver could tell she wanted to ask another question, but she had made the rules to their little game and it was his turn again. “What specifically do you want from Tess now that you’ve given her this information?” he asked.

Chloe glanced away from him for a minute before her eyes found their way back to his. “I think Lex is sitting on evidence, a lot of it. He’s way too cocky to not want to relive the moments where he felt he won some kind of victory. I think that information is scattered in the mansion in Smallville and…other places that I don’t readily have access to at the moment.” She wasn’t sure if Oliver knew about the 33.1 labs and she wasn’t about to mention anything that could point to Clark or Lois for that matter.

“As Lex’s half-sister, she’s entitled to half of everything he owns, which means she would have access to all the places I don’t…If she were to come forward.” She told him before leaning forward and cocking her head to the side. “How and why do you know about Lex’s shadier dealings? That doesn’t seem like something your normal everyday CEO would focus on,” She told him, eyeing him closely.

“You want Tess to stake her claim and fight Lex for the family fortune. Or the family secrets to be more specific,” Oliver said. He leaned back in his chair, considering it. The plan was risky. Lex’s lawyers would fight her and try to dig up every skeleton she had in her closet. That was assuming that Lex bothered with handling things the legal way and didn’t just try to kill her. Oliver knew they could protect Tess, but it would still thrust her into the limelight for all the wrong reasons. She would hate it, but he also thought she might do it once she recovered from the initial shock of finding out who she was.

Oliver realized Chloe was waiting for him to answer her question. He wasn’t about to tell her the whole truth, but he figured he could be somewhat honest with her. “This is personal to me, Ms. Sullivan. Lex is evil, but the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Lionel Luthor is the reason my parents are dead. I’ve made it my mission in life to do everything I can to keep the Luthors from destroying other people’s lives like they did mine so I have gone above and beyond the normal business doings to find out what Lex is up to,” he said.

Chloe could tell there was more to the story, but since she wasn’t being one hundred percent honest with him she couldn’t really blame him for being cautious. She nodded. “Fair enough and I’m sorry, I didn’t know that about your parents.” She said softly. “The Luthor’s tend to destroy pretty much everything they touch,” She said before wincing slightly at her own words and clearing her throat.

“But, regardless it seems we have similar goals. I’m sorry about the way I went about getting an appointment to speak to Miss Mercer, but you can see my attempting to schedule some time with her probably wouldn’t have gone well had I used the truth to get in.” She said before letting out a small sigh. “Look I know this is a lot to ask of her and if she says no, then at least I can say I’ve exhausted all my options and I can go back to the drawing board on my own.”

“I appreciate your candor, Ms. Sullivan. Look, I know Tess pretty well and she just needs a little bit of time to absorb all of this.” Oliver reached into his desk drawer, pulled out one of his cards and scribbled his cell phone number on the back before handing it to her. “In the meantime, please call me if you come across anything useful, even if it seems small. Lex isn’t the only one who has money.” Oliver didn’t know what Tess was going to do and at this point, he wasn’t even sure what she should do. But something told him that this would not be the last time he saw Chloe Sullivan.

She hesitated before taking the card. “Chloe is fine,” She said as she dropped the card into her purse and stood. She wasn’t sure how she felt about Oliver Queen just yet, she needed to do a little research of her own when she got back to Metropolis, find out more about him and the type of person he was. “Tess has my number. She can call me any time when she’s made a decision on what she plans to do regardless of what it is.” She told him as she opened and closed her mouth before deciding against saying anything else. She gave him a small smile and started for the door.

“Have a safe trip, Chloe,” Oliver replied. He didn’t miss the fact that she hadn’t agreed to call him like he’d asked her to, but she’d taken the card and that was something. The door closed quietly behind her and Oliver let out a long sigh. He had no idea where they were supposed to go from here. He rubbed his hands over his face and decided to give Tess more time before he went to check on her. Instead, he turned his attention to the computer, bypassed the work he should be doing and opened the encrypted database on his laptop so he could start researching Chloe. He wanted to know everything there was to know about her.


	3. Chapter 3

Hal made his way through the hallway and towards his girlfriend’s office, frown on his face. He'd been in a training exercise at Ferris Aircraft when Oliver called and he hadn't been able to get out of it right away. He glanced at his watch and his frown deepened. It had been just over an hour and a half since Oliver had called and he was worried.

Hal tried calling Tess several times on his way there but his girlfriend of close to four years hadn't answered one of his calls and that wasn't like her. He wasn't sure what was going on, but whatever is was, it wasn't good. Hal pushed the door open to the small room outside of Tess's office and nodded towards Peggy who motioned towards the door. "I'm glad you're here Mr. Jordan, she hasn't come out of there in hours...I'm starting to worry." She said quietly. Mr. Queen had told her to take off for the day, but she hadn’t felt right about it, not until she knew Tess wasn’t alone.

Hal's chest tightened and he nodded. "Thanks Peggy, and I told you it's Hal, almost four years and you still won't use my first name," he joked more to relieve the tension then to actually be funny. He moved past her not bothering to knock as he pushed the office door open and closed it quietly behind him.

He caught sight of Tess behind her desk staring out the window. His heart clenched at the expression on her face. He walked forward stepping around her desk and crouching down in front of her chair. Hal placed a hand on her leg. "Red...what's going on, are you alright?" He asked worry in his voice.

“Hal?” Tess glanced at the door before bringing her gaze back to her boyfriend. “I didn’t hear you come in,” she said quietly. She wasn’t sure she’d heard much of anything other than the sound of her heart pounding in her ears since Chloe had showed her the contents of that folder. She was a Luthor. She was the daughter of a man who was so power-hungry, he’d killed his closest friends and then he’d raised his son as a monster in his own image. How could she be related to those people?

Tess’s life had never been a picnic. Her adoptive mother had died and Tess had few memories of her. She did remember living in a swamp and having to teach herself to read and write because her stepfather and stepbrother were more interested in tormenting her and breaking her bones than they were in actually taking care of her. But she’d gotten out at fifteen and graduated from Harvard two years later. She’d thought her entire life had turned around but then she’d ended up on a hijacked boat and she’d been trapped on that Godforsaken island with a madman.

Of course that had led to her meeting Oliver and after they’d escaped, her life really did turn around. She had a friend that she could trust and Oliver asked for her help in resurrecting his parents’ company. The board of directors had practically bankrupted Queen Industries while Oliver had been missing and presumed dead. They found out later that Lionel Luthor played a hand in that. But they’d turned things around and as stressful as her job could be at times, especially when she had to cover Oliver’s long absences, Tess loved it and she wouldn’t trade it for anything.

The same went for the man in front of her. Oliver had introduced Tess to Hal nearly five years earlier. He’d just gotten out of a long, complicated relationship and Tess had no interest in any kind of relationship. But they’d become friends and slowly over the next year, it had developed into something more. Tess loved him with all of her heart and now she had to look him in the eyes and tell him that she was the daughter of one of the worst people who had ever lived. She swallowed hard and opened her mouth to try and say the words, but she couldn’t. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and started to cry.

Hal was startled by her tears and he held her, his hand moving up and down her back soothingly as he whispered words of comfort in her ear. Out of all the years he'd know her, Hal had never seen her break down like this before and it was scaring the shit out of him.

He swallowed hard and when he heard her tears slow slightly, he pulled back a little bit cupping her cheeks is his hands, still on the floor in front of her. "Tess what's wrong? What happened?...Talk to me," he said concern on his face, worry in his voice as his heartbeat sped up expecting some kind of horrible world ending news.

Tess took a deep breath, forcing herself to get a grip. She could see that Hal was scared and as awful as this news was, she didn’t want to worry him. She placed one of her hands over his and closed her eyes for a moment to calm down. She opened them again and the concern on his face made her heart hurt. “This woman came to see me today. She told me that she was a consultant when we arranged the meeting, but she was actually a former Daily Planet reporter. Her name is Chloe.” Tess knew she was recounting useless details and Hal probably wanted her to get to the point, but she had to go slowly or she wasn’t going to be able to get this out.

“She knows about Lex. She knows about the activities that you and Oliver and everyone else are always trying to stop,” Tess specified. She took another deep breath and the hand that was holding his started to shake. “She was doing research and she discovered some stuff about me and my past. She…I…” Tess turned in her chair and grabbed the folder from the desk. She knew she was being a coward, but saying the words was too much. “She showed me all of these things.” She pushed the folder toward Hal, silently pleading with him not to make her say it.

Hal frowned, confused taking the folder from her and standing. She wasn't making much sense and why did some random woman know about Lex's seedier side? It wasn't exactly public knowledge unless she worked for him at one point or the other option was she'd seen one or more of his experiments first hand. Hal shuddered at the thought.

He opened the folder scanning through the papers and his body went rigid when he saw this folder was practically everything about Tess. He paused as he came to the last few pages and was about to hand it back to her when he caught sight of the birth certificate. Hal's eyes widened as he glanced at Tess. He could see the pain in her eyes and he swallowed hard.

"It doesn't mean anything," he whispered quick to reassure her. "They're just papers, so what if they're true or not?" He told her before tossing them on her desk and once again kneeling in front of her. "This doesn't change the person you are...the woman I love. You are your own person and you're _nothing_ like the Luthor's Tess. Nothing," He stressed trying to make her see that he didn't care about papers or blood relations, that she'd always be one of the best people he had ever known.

Tess nodded weakly. Logically, she knew that everything Hal was saying was true. She was smart enough to know that biology didn’t really mean anything in the long run and people were not destined to become exactly like their parents. But the thought of that monster’s blood running through her veins turned her stomach. She reached for Hal’s hand, needing to feel him close to her. “Thank you for saying that. I know you’re right, I do,” she stressed when he opened his mouth. “But Hal, this is horrifying. I’m the daughter of the man who murdered Oliver’s parents and the sister of a man who experiments on people in his spare time like some sort of twisted sport. It makes me sick. I have no idea who this Pamela Jenkins woman is but we should probably check the list of known serial killers.”

She sighed and pushed her chair back so she could stand up. Tess walked over to the large window and stared out at the city wishing she could go back to this morning when she’d had no idea about any of this. “She wants me to use it against Lex.” Tess glanced back at Hal over her shoulder. “The woman who came to see me,” she explained. “She thinks we can use this information to bring him down.”

Hal squeezed her hand and rubbed his thumb over her skin in a comforting gesture. He couldn't imagine what she was feeling, how this news was affecting her. His chest tightened and an extreme dislike for the woman who'd caused this much pain to the woman he loved settled in his stomach. "I'm sorry...I know this can't be an easy thing to digest and I'm here," He told her pointedly.

He frowned as the rest of her words registered. "Wait, she came here practically shattered everything you've ever know and she wants your help?" He asked incredulously. "Is this woman sane? No forget her and the god damned horse she rose in on. We don't need her to take down Lex. Oliver and the team are doing just fine." He told her sternly.

"There's no reason you need to out yourself and cause all this chaos, that you'll have to live with, not the woman who's saddled you with this information." He said before letting out a light sigh. "Do you want me to talk to her? Scare her off make sure she doesn't have any more copies and stuff?"

“Oliver and the team are not doing fine, Hal. I know they’re doing the best they can, but Lex is always a step ahead of them. All those facilities have been taken down and there’s still not enough evidence to prove that Lex is behind them.” Tess sighed and dragged her hand over her face, wiping away the remnants of her tears. She wasn’t trying to criticize any of them. She knew how hard they worked against Lex and it wasn’t their fault that he always managed to keep his name clean. Sooner or later he would slip up, but how many people would be hurt or worse in the meantime?

“I’m not saying that I think this is a good plan or that it’ll work. But I get that Chloe is desperate. This is personal to her although she didn’t really get into why since I had a meltdown. Oliver took her to his office to talk to her. She said those were the only copies and I don’t think she was trying to hurt me,” she added. Tess wasn’t sure why, but she believed Chloe was telling her the truth. If her end game had been to expose her as Lex’s long-lost sister, she could have just gone straight to the tabloids instead of coming to her first.

Hal stood up quickly and pointed to the door. "She's still here?" He asked. He wanted to have a word with the woman who thought it was okay to waltz in and bulldoze his girlfriend’s entire life. Anger coursed through him and he pursed his lips. "I'm going to talk to her and before you say anything, I'm sorry but she doesn't get to come here and do this without hearing from me." He said, voice hard. "Do you want to come? Or should I go without you?" He asked softly as he reached forward and caressed her cheek.

Before Tess could say anything, her office door opened again and Oliver strode into the room. He nodded in Hal’s direction, noting the anger on his best friend’s face. He couldn’t blame him for that. He was pretty pissed off too. “Hey man,” he said lightly before shifting his gaze to Tess. “Sorry it took me so long to come back. There was another issue in New York.” Scott was lucky Oliver didn’t possess the power to choke him through the phone or he would no longer be breathing. “How are you holding up?” he asked.

Tess shrugged. “It depends on the minute,” she replied truthfully. She wanted to ask where Chloe was, but she could tell Hal had a lot to say on the subject.

Hal crossed his arms over his chest, fury in his eyes as he spoke. "Who the hell does this woman think she is coming here and giving Tess all this fucking garbage, demanding her help?" He snapped not giving Oliver a chance to say anything as he continued speaking.

"And how the hell did she get in here to begin with?" He asked irritation in his voice. "This is Queen Industries, you're supposed to have the best security around and you’re telling me some girl got by your guys? That's ridiculous." He shouted, not angry with his best friend, but the situation. "I want to talk to her, where is she?"

“She pointed out the security flaw too,” Oliver commented. He wasn’t offended by Hal’s tone; he knew his friend’s anger was directed at the situation, not at him. “Remind me to get Vic to look into that.” He motioned toward the chairs, indicating that everyone should take a seat. “Chloe left. She has a flight back to Metropolis tonight but she said she gave you her number if we want to get in touch with her.” He raised a questioning eyebrow at Tess as he settled into one of the visitor’s chairs.

Tess nodded. She squeezed Hal’s hand before moving around the desk and sitting down again. “She told me that she wouldn’t tell anyone about this. I believe her, but I don’t know if I can help her. This isn’t something I want people to know about. I wish I didn’t know about it,” she added as the bile rose in her throat once again.

Oliver nodded and gave Tess a sympathetic look. He couldn’t imagine what was going through her head right now and he didn’t want to make things worse for her. But he knew this wasn’t something they could just let go. “I did some research on Chloe. She grew up in Smallville, Kansas which as we know is pretty much the meteor rock capital of the world.  She told me that she’s known Lex a long time, they were friends at one point but then she found out who he really was. I think there’s more to that story, but she wasn’t exactly an open book. Lex fired her from the Planet and it seems like she’s made it her mission in life to prove he’s the scum of the earth. Obviously, we can relate.” He paused, giving Hal and Tess time to digest everything he was saying.

Hal snorted. “No I can’t relate. She seems like some selfish whiny little bitch who came out here to destroy my girlfriends life all so she can get a little revenge on Lex I’m a fucking up billionaire Luthor. And I’m sorry, but I’m not playing her little game.” he said jaw clenched voice hard. “How do we know she isn’t working for Lex and this isn’t some kid of ploy?” He asked, not at all convinced in the slightest that they should even consider working with this woman.

Hell he had half a mind to go to the airport and grab her before she could leave so he could properly interrogate her, which obviously neither of them had done.

“I meant we can relate to wanting to bring down Lex,” Oliver replied. He knew Hal was upset, but Chloe wasn’t the issue. “Look, I’m not saying we should do this and ultimately it’s Tess’s decision, but it is an option.” He glanced at Tess, trying to read her reaction, but her eyes were glassy and she looked like she was still in shock. “I think you should take some time and think about this,” he told her. “Chloe knows a lot about Lex. She’s been writing articles about the weird and unexplained since she was in high school and it seems like she has inside knowledge. She wasn’t too eager to share with me, but she might tell you more.”

Tess sighed. She knew she was in no condition to make a decision and it was obvious which way Oliver was leaning; the exact opposite of Hal. “Chloe is not working for Lex,” she told her boyfriend quietly. “If Lex knew who I was and that I was a potential threat to him, he would try to eliminate me before I found out. He wouldn’t be sending someone here to clue me in.”

Hal pursed his lips. “Fine, so maybe she isn’t working for Lex, it doesn’t mean that she’s not going back home to tell him what happened here today. Maybe she was just coming here first to see what she could get out of us.” He said not liking the fact that he could already see which way his friend was leaning regarding the woman’s visit. He loved Oliver like a brother, but when it came to Lex and Lionel well Hal didn’t think Oliver always made the best decisions and after everything they’d learned over the years he couldn’t exactly blame him.

Normally he’d back him up, but not this not, not when his girlfriend was a part of some kind of botched up plan. “Does she know who we are?” He asked eyebrow raised.

“No,” Oliver replied. He was absolutely certain of that although he had a feeling Chloe would be digging into his past like he had spent the afternoon looking into hers. He knew she was still suspicious of his motives but he wasn’t worried about her stumbling onto his secret or Hal’s. “She questioned my reasons for knowing so much about Lex and I told her about Lionel and my parents. She still had questions, but she left it at that for now. Frankly, I have questions about her. She seems to know an awful lot about Lex.” He could only assume her experiences with him were much more personal than she was willing to let a stranger in on.

“I thought it was about money at first too, but she didn’t ask me for any. I assume she didn’t ask you for any either.” Tess glanced at Oliver and he shook his head. She sighed and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as a fresh headache started to form. “I don’t know what to do with any of this. I’m sorry,” she said. Tess hated being indecisive. She made snap decisions based on her instincts and the method had always served her well in life. But her emotions were all over the place at the moment and she couldn’t think clearly enough to make any kind of decision.

Hal moved over to Tess and wrapped an arm around her pulling her into his side. “No one expects you to make any decisions at the moment,” He told her softly while sending a glare in Oliver’s direction warning the other man not to push. “Why don’t we get out of here?” He asked her quietly. She needed to get her head around things and Hal was convinced the best place for her right now was their apartment in Coast City away from business and everything else for the rest of the day.

Oliver rolled his eyes. He understood Hal’s need to be overprotective given the situation, but no matter what happened, Oliver wanted what was best for Tess too and he would never push her into doing this if she didn’t want to. “That’s a good idea. I had Stella cancel your schedule and I’ll handle things here.” He planned on going back to his office and doing more research on Chloe, but he could multitask and take care of any Queen Industries business that came up as well.

Tess nodded. She gathered the folder Chloe had brought her, but instead of slipping it into her bag, she handed it to Oliver. “I can’t look at this anymore,” she said. She pulled her bag up onto her shoulder and walked around the desk to Hal. “I’m ready to go.” She knew she wasn’t going to be able to turn her mind off anytime soon, but at the moment all she wanted to do was go home.

 

______

 

Chloe sighed as she stuck her key in the apartment door and pushed it open. It was after midnight and she was exhausted. Her meeting with Tess earlier in the day already seemed like a lifetime ago. It had taken everything in her to not call Lois and tell her to have Clark come get her the minute she stepped out of the Queen Industries building. She might put up a good show, but she was left more than a little unsettled by the talk she had with Oliver Queen.

When she’d finally made her way to the airport, the first thing she did was take out her laptop and start a search on Oliver Queen. She had confirmed that what he told her about his parents was true by hacking into the Queen Industries secured server and going through his personal files. She had also found all kinds of files about 33.1, but when she attempted to start accessing them, something booted her from the entire system.

And when she attempted to hack in again through the backdoors she’d created in the system, she hadn’t been able to. At the time it had made her smirk, at least he’d taken her advice. She’d spent most of the flight going through the information about Oliver that she’d managed to get her hands on, but it hadn’t given her much insight into him beyond what she already knew. She had respectfully left the files from his childhood and his early youth alone and focused on everything from the point of his shipwreck on.

She had no doubt he would be able to figure out she’d been looking into him if he hadn’t already. Chloe also knew he was most likely looking into her past. She’d been able to bury everything about her Mother, Lex, the experimenting he’d done on her and anything and everything involving her meteor power. There was no way Oliver would be able to find that unless she wanted him to.

As far as everything else went, it was out in the open for him to see. Her personal research on Lex and all the 33.1 information she had including all his past projects and details she could actually get were saved on several different thumb drives. She had them hidden in random places on the farm and never kept them on her for long as a precaution. Chloe wasn’t stupid, she knew Lex well enough to know he’d keep sending people after her.

Things had died down between them when he married Lana and for a while even though he was still doing the mad scientist thing he had stopped going after her. But when Chloe was able to clue Lana in on the things Lex was doing in his spare time and helped her best friend disappear, well their little truce that they had going came to an abrupt halt and he’d been back on a rampage ever since then doing anything and everything he could to make her life miserable.

Chloe pulled herself from her thoughts as she closed the door quietly behind her figuring Lois was sleeping. She moved to the side of the door to put her bag down when the apartment lights flickered on. She blinked, straightened up and glanced toward the light switch where her cousin stood in her pajama’s arms crossed over her chest. Chloe gave her a tired smile, apparently the sleep she’d been planning to get was going to have to wait. “Hey Lo’,” She said lightly.

“Hey Chlo,” Lois replied nonchalantly like it wasn’t midnight and her cousin wasn’t attempting to sneak into their apartment without her knowing she was home. Lois had spent the entire day waiting for Chloe to call her and tell her how her meeting had gone with Tess Mercer and all she’d gotten from her cousin was a quick text message telling her that she was boarding her flight and she’d see her in the morning. Lois knew that Chloe was used to keeping her out of the loop to protect Clark and his secrets, but those days were over. “Would you like to end the suspense and tell me what happened?” she asked. She gestured for Chloe to have a seat on the couch while she went into the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of water from the refrigerator.

Chloe sighed as she dropped her bag to the floor not bothering to be quite since her cousin was obviously not sleeping. She walked to the couch and took a seat toeing off her heels before bringing her feet up and beneath her as she leaned back on the couch. “It went…” She said her voice trailing off. She paused, gnawing on her lower lip. “You were right, I probably shouldn’t have gone out there and dumped all of this on that woman’s lap,” She said quietly before glancing down at her hands.

She still couldn’t get the look on Tess face out of her head and she honestly felt like a horrible person. Maybe she was being selfish. If Tess outted herself as Lex’s sister her life would never be the same again. Was it fair to ask someone to change their life that way even if it was for a god cause? The thought jumped through her head and she swallowed hard. No, it wasn’t. “You should have seen the look on her face Lo,” She said quietly.

“I changed my mind about this plan. I might not be able to take back the damage I already caused, but I can stop it here and not ask her to go public with something she hasn’t even had time to digest. It’s not fair of me and I should have listened to you,” She told her before glancing up as she came back in the room with water.

“I’m sorry, cuz,” Lois said as she dropped onto the couch beside Chloe. She could see that her cousin was broken up over this and she wished she’d tried harder to stop her from going to California in the first place. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like for her to find out who she really was.” She made a face at the thought of anyone having to be related to Lex Luthor. “Did you tell her your plan? Was she against it?” she asked.

Chloe nodded. “I did tell her and no she didn’t give me an answer, but honestly I wasn’t expecting one right away. It’s not every day a person finds out they’re related to Lex. That kind of thing would shock anyone.” Chloe told her as she twisted open the bottle of water that Lois had handed her. “That wasn’t the strange part though,” She said quietly before hesitating a minute. “What do you know about Oliver Queen?” She asked curiously.

Lois raised an eyebrow at her question. “I know that he’s a billionaire CEO with a reputation for being a playboy. The Inquisitor liked to follow his exploits when I worked there. Lots of parties, drinking, various women, the usual poor little rich boy stuff,” she said with a shrug. Lois had never paid much attention to celebrity gossip aside from when she’d been forced to write it.

“He’s good-looking which is why the magazines likes to put his pretty face on their covers. Other than that, I’ve never met the guy and I never wrote a story on him. Why do you ask?” Her lips curved into a smirk when she remembered Chloe telling her that Tess Mercer worked for Queen Industries. “Oh my God, did he hit on you or something?”

Chloe frowned giving her cousin a disapproving look. “No, when I was having my meeting with Tess after I told her everything she called in Oliver.” She said while shifting on the couch her brows furrowing. “He seemed to know an awful lot about Lex, more than the average competitor. There’s something not quite right about him, but for the life of me I can’t figure out what it is.” She wasn’t sure why, but she didn’t think telling Lois about Oliver’s parents was the right thing to do at the moment. She didn’t want to lie to her cousin, but at the same time she felt like this wasn’t really her news to share, so she kept that little fact about Lionel to herself as she continued speaking. “He knows about the kind of stuff Lex does behind the scenes and apparently I’m not the only one who’s been trying to link him to his less than honorable activities.” She told her quickly.

“I need to do more research on him, but at the moment he’s on the top of my suspicious list until otherwise noted,” She said with conviction. She didn’t trust the blonde billionaire. He had seemed nice enough when he walked her to the office, but Chloe knew better than anyone that appearances were deceiving. The whole time they were talking she was going back and forth between believing he was one of the good guys and questioning his motives. She needed more to go one before she formulated an opinion; it was as simple as that.

“Well that’s less fun,” Lois said disappointedly. She’d been hoping for some juicy gossip and it seriously wouldn’t kill her cousin to focus on something fun for a change. Although someone with Oliver Queen’s reputation was not really the type of guy Lois would want for Chloe. She shook her head to push those thoughts aside, knowing Chloe would want her to focus on the topic at hand. “They’re rivals, aren’t they? I would think Queen would want to know everything there was to know about Lex.” She could see that Chloe wasn’t convinced and she wondered if there was more to the story that her cousin wasn’t sharing.

“What kind of suspicions are we talking here?” Lois asked. “You don’t think he’s in league with Lex somehow, do you?”

Chloe shook her head, “Absolutely not, Oliver wouldn’t work with Lex,” She said before pausing surprised by the certainty in her own voice. “I just…There’s more to this then he’s letting on and I intend to find out what it is.” She said matter-of-factly not bothering to overanalyze the reason why she’d defended Oliver to Lois in the first place. What he told her about his parents was sincere and she couldn’t see him working with the son of the man who had murdered them, plus despite her confusion about him and what he knew, she didn’t necessarily think he was a bad person, more of an enigma that she was looking forward to unraveling.

“Okay,” Lois said slowly. She felt like she was even more confused now than she’d been before she’d talked to Chloe about her trip. She didn’t know what was going on inside her cousin’s head, but there was obviously a lot more to the story than she was letting on. “Well I’m sure you’re exhausted and I have to work early tomorrow. Do me a favor though, please,” she paused, holding her cousin’s gaze for a minute to make sure Chloe was listening to her. “Be careful and do not take all of this on by yourself. I get why you don’t want Clark involved. That’s probably a wise decision. But I’m here if you need me. Big or small,” she said. Lois leaned over and kissed Chloe’s cheek before getting to her feet. “Night, cuz.”

Chloe gave her cousin a warm smile. “Thanks Lois and goodnight.” She said as she watched Lois make her way into the bedroom and disappear behind the door. Chloe sighed and plopped back on the couch glancing up at the ceiling as her brows furrowed. It had been an extremely long day and all she wanted to do was sleep, but her mind was full of dozens of questions all of which had the same subject matter. Oliver Queen. She let her eyes drift shut the last conscious thought she had before sleep claimed her were images of the blonde billionaire filling her head.


	4. Chapter 4

Oliver slowed his black sports car to a stop, confused as he studied the GPS on the dashboard. It told him that he had arrived at his destination, but he didn’t see any residential buildings on the street. He pulled out the piece of paper he’d scribbled the address down on and verified that he’d programmed it into the GPS correctly. It was a match and the dot continued to blink, indicating he was in the right place.

He looked around again. He was parked in front of a small general store and there was a barber shop next to it and a laundry mat next to that. He looked across the street and saw a coffee place and the numbers beside the door matched the address he had. Oliver glanced up and saw windows on the second story of the building and he wondered if that was the apartment he was looking for.

“Only one way to find out,” he muttered to himself. Oliver shut off the ignition, pocketed the keys and pushed the door open. He was grateful to get out of the cramped car after the nearly two hour drive from Metropolis to Smallville. The drive had been long and boring and he’d never seen so many cows or ears of corn in his life. He would take the ocean and the congested highways of California any day over the rural lifestyle. But this wasn’t about him. This was about proving once and for all that Lex Luthor was the devil and he needed Chloe’s help to do that.

It had been five days since he’d encountered the petite blonde in his elevator and she had proceeded to rock Tess’s entire foundation with her research proving that she was the abandoned daughter of Lionel Luthor. Oliver had been replaying his conversation with Chloe in his head for the past few days while he researched her life. She was researching him too.

Victor had given him a readout of everything she had accessed on the Queen Industries servers and everything he had blocked her from. Oliver had been curious to see if she would zero in on the 33.1 information and she had, but Victor made sure that she didn’t get too far into it. He wondered how much she had researched the facilities on her own.

He ducked into the coffee shop, careful to keep his head down. He was still wearing his sunglasses, but Oliver didn’t want to take any chances that someone would recognize him before he was ready to let the world, or more specifically Lex, know he was in Metropolis. He definitely didn’t want anyone to know he was in Smallville. The workers seemed busy with the mid-morning crowd and no one was paying attention to him as he made his way up the spiral staircase. There was one door at the top which he figured had to be Chloe’s apartment.

Oliver pulled off his sunglasses, sliding them into the front pocket of his leather jacket and knocked on the door. He wasn’t sure how Chloe was going to react to him literally showing up on her doorstep, but he didn’t want to take his chances over the phone. He had always preferred face to face interaction especially with people who he didn’t quite know how to read. Chloe Sullivan definitely fell into that category.

Chloe stood in the kitchen watching the coffee slowly drip into the pot. She groaned and let out a long sigh as she poked at it. “Come on, come on,” She grumbled at it as she leaned against the counter and waited impatiently. It was almost noon and she’d been working nonstop for the last seven hours looking through the information that Lois had been able to take from Lex’s computer at the Planet.

Her computer was on the counter running through another search for keywords in the files and she was just reaching up to the cabinet on her toes pulling out her favorite mug when there was a knock on her door. She frowned slightly, placed the mug on the counter and walked over towards the door.

She glanced down at her boxer shorts and the Smallville high sweatshirt that was so big it left one shoulder bare and she shrugged to herself. It’s not like it mattered what she looked like it was probably just someone looking for Lois. She ran a hand through her curls before pulling the doors open. Shock crossed her features momentarily before she pushed it aside. Her heartbeat sped up quickly as she glanced at Oliver Queen standing in front of her.

What in the world was he doing on her doorstep? All the things she’d learned about him since she left Star City five days ago had been contradicting and left her with more questions than answers. It was slightly infuriating. He was this puzzle that she couldn’t put together and she was pretty sure it was slowly driving her crazy.

She swallowed hard, pursed her lips and leaned against the door while arching an eyebrow in his direction. “I’m pretty sure this qualifies as stalking in at least forty-eight out of the fifty states in America.” She said, her tone calm as she studied his face.

Oliver bit back a grin at her snarky comment. “Really? I thought it was called knocking but I guess I learn something new every day.” He surveyed her outfit, raising an eyebrow as he met her gaze. “I hope I’m not catching you in the middle of anything too important, but I’d like a few minutes of your time.” He could see that he had caught her off guard and she was trying her hardest to act like he hadn’t. That was exactly the reaction he’d been going for and another reason he hadn’t wanted anyone to know he was in Kansas before he saw her. “May I come in?” he asked.

She hesitated for a minute before opening the door wider. “I suppose you can… I don’t need people seeing you standing in my hallway,” She said with a sigh.  She was suddenly wishing she had taken the time to get dressed after her shower that morning. He walked in and she shut the door behind him before making her way back into the kitchen and busying herself with pulling the pot of coffee out as she gave him a sideways glance.

She filled up her large mug added some creamer and sugar before turning back to face him. She motioned towards the refrigerator. “Can I get you something to drink?” She asked as she went through a mental list of what he could possibly want. He’d obviously gone out of his way to find out where she lived and she wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about that. It was bad enough the building was still owned by Lex, she didn’t need another billionaire stepping in and causing problems, not that she thought that’s why he was here.

“I’m good, thanks,” Oliver replied as he glanced around the apartment. It wasn’t large, but it had a homey, comfortable feeling that he thought suited Chloe. He knew from his research that she shared it with her cousin, Lois Lane, who was also a reporter for the Daily Planet. Oliver had taken a gamble and hoped Lois was at work when he dropped by or at the very least that Chloe had enough pull with the woman to keep her from saying anything. But it seemed like they were alone which was what Oliver preferred given the nature of what he wanted to discuss with her.

“This place is nice. Colorful,” he added with a smirk when he caught the suspicious look in Chloe’s eyes once again. He couldn’t decide if she really didn’t like him or if she hadn’t made up her mind yet. He supposed it didn’t really matter. They had a common goal and that was why he’d decided to board his private jet and come see her in person.

Chloe gave him a slightly bored look before arching an eyebrow in his direction. “Is there a reason you crossed several states to see me Mr. Queen? Or did you just come for a tour of my…colorful apartment?” She asked a hint of amusement in her eyes as she lifted the mug to her lips and took a sip of coffee. Her eyes closed as the warm beverage hit her tongue and her body automatically relaxed from her tense position as the taste of breakfast blend hit her taste buds and slid down her throat.

She hadn’t had any in hours and after all the time spent in front of the computer it was almost blissful. Her eyes fluttered open and she stepped forward closing her laptop as she tilted her head to the side waiting for his answer.

“Perhaps I just missed your sunny disposition,” Oliver replied cheerfully. “And feel free to call me Oliver.” He nodded toward her laptop. “Are you working on anything important? I do hope you found everything you were looking for when you hacked into my servers a few hours after you left my office.” He smiled at her as he pointed to the couch. “Do you mind if we sit?” he asked casually.

Chloe’s lip twitched as she eyed him. “Well I have been told I’m quite warm and welcoming.” She said as she pushed herself away from the counter glancing briefly at her laptop before looking back at him. “Probably about as much as you found when you were researching me. But don’t worry you’re not on today’s to do list,” She told him as she placed a hand on her laptop and nodded in the direction of the couch.

“Good to know you took my advice though; now at least it’ll be a little bit of a challenge should I find my way into them again.” She told him while moving towards the couch. She sat down, mug in hand as she watched him closely. “Someone’s been slacking on his security, but I’m glad I could help you with that.” She said with a grin as she motioned towards the other side of the couch.

“I wouldn’t say we’ve been slacking,” Oliver corrected her as he took a seat on the couch. “Not everyone has your talent for getting around firewalls, Chloe. But I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that.” He saw the amusement in her eyes and he decided they were definitely off to a better start than the last time they had spoken.

It would make what he wanted to ask her that much easier. He watched her for a moment as she sipped her coffee. She seemed like the kind of person who would appreciate him getting straight to the point and as much fun as it was to draw out her curiosity, Oliver knew it was time to tell her what he was doing there.

“You’re right, I have been researching you and I’ve found some interesting things. I’ve read some of the articles you wrote for your high school paper and for the Planet and I must say that Smallville seems like an interesting place.” He paused, waiting to see if she’d give him any reaction. When she just continued to watch him, he kept talking. “I want you to come work for me,” he told her matter-of-factly.

Chloe paused and let out a small laugh. “Are you kidding?” She asked as she studied his face trying to figure out what he was playing at. There was no way she was qualified to do anything at Queen Industries, she didn’t even have a college degree yet and the he was offering her a job? It didn’t make sense, unless he wanted her around for other reasons. When his facial expression didn’t change she cocked her head to the side and bit her lower lip. “Let’s pretend for a minute you’re being serious,” She said while pointing towards him. “What exactly is it you’re hiring me to do? If you’ve done your research you’d know as well as I do, that the only thing I’m probably qualified to do at your company is be an intern and sorry, but the only person I fetch coffee for is myself,” She told him lightly a small smile on her lips.

“I assure you that I am serious and we both know you’re qualified to do much more than fetch coffee for anyone,” Oliver replied. “Life experience outweighs a piece of paper in my book.” Oliver knew a lot of people thought otherwise, but he didn’t give a damn. Anyone with half a brain and money for tuition could get a college degree. The research she had done on Lex alone was enough to make him want her to be part of his team. But Oliver needed to know if he could trust her first and that was where the mutually beneficial job offer came in.

He could see that she was nowhere near convinced yet so Oliver figured he’d better give her more to go on before she laughed at him again and showed him the door. “I want to hire you for your research skills. I don’t know how much you know about my company or if you were only researching me personally when you were poking around my servers.” He paused and smiled at her before continuing. “I do business with a lot of people all over the world and sometimes I need to know things about them that other people don’t. That’s where you would come in,” he explained.

She swallowed hard at his words her chest tightening slightly. She wanted to believe his offer was real because it seemed so easy and he came off genuine enough, but her record with trusting billionaire’s when they offered her things that seemed too good to be true tended to bite her in the ass later on. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, knowing that what he was saying about his company was true. But she needed more. Chloe lifted her mug again taking a sip of her coffee as she watched him.

She rested the mug on her knee as spoke softly. “I probably know more about it than you think I do. Your company is an extension of you and for me to formulate any kind of opinion I need to look into how you do business,” She said simply as if her digging around his business records and company divisions was no big deal. But the truth was she’d been looking to make sure there was nothing going on beneath the surface like with Lex.

Not that she thought Oliver was some kind of monster, because she didn’t. But there were all kinds of levels of corrupt in corporations these days. She had to make sure he wasn’t one of those types of men and from what she had seen, he wasn’t. “Basically you’re looking for someone to dig up dirt on other companies so you don’t make investments that could harm your bottom line, make you and the rest of your company look bad or inadvertently take advantage of Queen Industries.” She stated a thoughtful look on her face.

“Why me? I’m sure there are plenty of people who would fit the bill for what you’re looking for,” She asked him a hint of curiosity in her eyes as she pulled her legs under her body and shifted so she was facing him.

“Basically,” Oliver said. “It’s not as sinister as it sounds, but there are a lot of scam artists out there and most people are always more complex than they appear when you first meet them.” He let his words hang in the air for a moment, knowing her first impression of him had not been that great. He figured that wasn’t going to change until she really got to know him and saw once and for all that he was nothing like Lex Luthor. Oliver had a feeling she was comparing the two of them and he tried not to be offended. It was only natural considering she had said that Lex had been her friend at one point. Oliver knew he’d given her no real reason to trust him yet.

“Chloe, I’m going to be honest with you.” His dark eyes were intense when they met hers. “I wouldn’t be sitting here if it wasn’t for the information you dug up on Tess. I have skilled people on my staff and Tess herself is incredibly bright, but no one ever came across any of that information that you did. I only want the best people working for me and you’ve proven that’s what you are,” he told her.

Chloe gripped her mug and swallowed heavily at the intensity in his eyes. There was something about them that made her want to trust him, but she knew she couldn’t be that easy. She broke the gaze and looked down at her mug pulling herself together. She was not one of those girls who got lost in a man’s gaze, especially not a man like Oliver Queen; she wasn’t even in his league. Chloe cleared her throat and lifted her head again as she reestablished eye contact with him.

“And if I said no? Does that mean you’ll be considering me a threat?” She asked, her tone light but the look in her eyes serious. She hoped the question didn’t offend him because that wasn’t what she intended, but she needed to know if this offer came with strings or some kind of threat attached to it.

Chloe was almost positive that his offer was legitimate and he was being sincere, but she’d also thought that about past offers and now well, she wasn’t exactly sure she trusted her own judgment on these types of matters anymore. “Also, you realize I live in Smallville? And I’m not looking to relocate, I’m needed here.” She told him quietly.

Oliver frowned. “Chloe, I know we don’t know each other very well and you have no real reason to trust me, but if you say no to my job offer, I’ll be disappointed but I would accept it. I don’t make a habit of forcing anyone to do something they don’t want to. It’s not who I am,” he said. His voice was quiet but firm. He knew she wasn’t trying to offend him and he really hoped his words gave her some reassurance.

“As for your other concerns, there is a large branch of Queen Industries in Metropolis that you would be based out of it. There might be a need every now and again for you to travel to Star City or New York or one of the other branches, but those would probably be few and far between and wouldn’t disrupt the life you have here,” he assured her.

The tension in her shoulders eased and she sent a small smile in his direction. As far as she could tell Oliver was nothing like the Luthor’s and she could see the honesty in his words when he spoke. That’s exactly what she’d been looking for. “I didn’t think it was, but you can never be too sure,” She told him softly. “I’m going to need some time to think about it,” She paused before meeting his eyes, “When do you need an answer by?” She asked while taking another sip of her coffee.

“Take as much time as you need,” Oliver replied. He could see that she was more relaxed and he took that as a good sign. “I take it you still have my card? I’m going to be in Metropolis for the foreseeable future so please just call me when you have a decision one way or the other,” he said as he got to his feet.

Chloe followed suit getting to her feet quickly her brows furrowing slightly. She hadn’t expected him to say that. “You’re staying in town?” She asked before pursing her lips and shaking her head. “Sorry,” She said sheepishly, “That’s none of my business. And yeah, I’ve still got it…somewhere” She said letting her words trail off as she walked him towards the door biting her bottom lip the urge to ask him one more question before he left building rapidly inside of her.

Oliver laughed. “Once a reporter, always a reporter,” he teased. “This is not public knowledge yet and I’m hoping we can keep it that way, if you don’t mind. Lex was kind enough to lure away one of my best vice presidents and things have been steadily declining at the Metropolis branch ever since. I figured it was time I stepped in and righted the ship so to speak,” he said. That was mostly true.

The Metropolis branch did need some extra attention but the main reason he wanted to stay in town was the woman standing in front of him. He wanted to find out if she really was trustworthy so he could offer her the job he really wanted her to have and the only way to do that was for the two of them to be in the same city.

“I see, I’m sorry to hear that. And considering I’ve basically been black balled from every newspaper within a five hundred mile radius I don’t think you need to worry about your secret being outted.” She joked with a grin, “Besides, despite my profession of choice you’d be surprised how tight these lips are.” She told him as her hand closed around the doorknob. She paused hesitating before turning to him.

“Feel free to tell me to mind my own business…But I was just,” She licked her lips slightly a hint of concern on her face as her chest tightened with guilt. “I was wondering how Miss Mercer was. I know I probably have no right to ask and an apology isn’t really going to make it better, but I really am sorry for springing things on her that way.” She said softly.

“It’s all right, Chloe,” Oliver said. He could see the guilt written all over her face and he had a feeling she had acted on the information without taking the time to really think it through. He had done that a time or two in his life and he knew what it was like to suffer the consequences of it. “Tess is pretty tough. She always has been, but as you can imagine, this has been unsettling for her to say the least.”

He had stopped by Tess and Hal’s place in Star City to see them before he’d left for Metropolis and Tess had been doing better but she was still shaken. Hal was pissed off at the world and especially at Chloe, but Oliver didn’t think it was necessary to tell her about that. “She just needs time to wrap her head around everything,” he said.

Chloe nodded. “Of course, I’d imagine news like that isn’t easily digested.” She said quietly sending him half a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. It certainly hadn’t been easy for her when she found out about her Mother through some of her research on Lex and that wasn’t nearly as bad as finding out you were related to the devil himself.

She pulled open the door and leaned against it once again. “Well, thank you for dropping by Mr. Queen…unannounced I might add,” She said while pointing at him, “Next time calling is always an option, give a girl time to get dressed,” She joked. “I’ll be in touch when I make my decision.” She said while catching his gaze.

“Oliver,” he reminded her gently. Oliver could see that she still felt bad about Tess and he had the overwhelming urge to try and make her feel better. He deiced to try lightening the mood instead. “No promises,” he said. “This is a good look for you.” Oliver winked at her as he slipped past her and into the narrow hallway. “I hope to hear from you soon.” He took his sunglasses out of his pocket, slid them back on and made his way down the stairs and out the door, once again careful to keep his head down and hope no one was paying attention to him.

 

______

 

Tess sat on the couch of the apartment she shared with Hal returning emails on her laptop. She could see her boyfriend out of the corner of her eye as he paced the kitchen with his cell phone glued to his ear. She knew he was talking to Oliver and judging by the look on his face and his clipped tone, he didn’t like whatever it was that Oliver was telling him.

She wasn’t surprised. Hal had been upset with Oliver’s decision to go to Metropolis and talk to Chloe and that was before Oliver had told them that he was planning on offering her a job. Tess wondered if she’d accepted it and that was what was making Hal so upset.

She appreciated his concern, she did. Tess knew how much he loved her and it hurt him to see her in so much pain. But Tess didn’t blame Chloe. She was more or less the messenger in the scenario. Yes, she wanted something from Tess and that was the reason she had decided to come to Star City and tell her what she’d discovered, but she wasn’t being selfish.

Lex was a terrible person and she wanted to see him brought to justice. Tess understood that. She knew Hal did too but he cared about her more than he did about seeing Lex pay for his crimes and that just made her fall in love with him all over again.

Her stomach turned at the reminder that she was related to Lex. Tess had been living with the information for five days now and there were still moments were the shock hit her all over again like she was just finding out. She wasn’t getting much sleep and she’d been working from home because she was too emotional to deal with things at the office.

She still didn’t know if she could handle the entire world finding out about her connection, but she wasn’t ready to write off Chloe’s plan just yet. She needed more time to figure out whether or not it could actually work before she made any life altering decisions.

The sound of a phone being slammed against the counter brought her out of her thoughts and she looked up at Hal. “Was it something he said?” she asked.

Hal closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was tired of arguing with his best friend, but Oliver was being completely unreasonable.  He couldn’t believe he’d actually flown all the way to Metropolis just to talk to this…woman and he used that word loosely because every time he called her a bitch Tess would give him this look that made his feel guilty.

But in his defense ever since Chloe gave Tess those papers proving she was a Luthor, his girlfriend hadn’t been able to sleep, she barely ate, and she hadn’t been into work in days. Yet the guy who was supposed to be both of their friends was planning to not only stay in Metropolis for a while, but he had offered her a job at the same company Tess worked for. It was ridiculous.

He let out a long breath and opened his eyes before walked back into the other room and sitting down next to Tess. “It was everything he said,” Hal told her as he tried to relax into the cushions. “I can’t believe he offered her a job,” He said while shaking his head.

“Did she take it?” Tess asked as she reached for his hand. She didn’t want to fight with Hal, but she thought Oliver was making the right decision. Whether or not she decided to go public with her disgusting family tree, Tess knew that Chloe could be an asset to Queen Industries and to the team. She was smart and capable and she obviously knew about Lex’s illegal activities. She understood why Oliver wanted to get to know her better. But she also knew it was a sensitive topic for Hal and she didn’t want to upset him more than he already was.

He squeezed her hand lightly and shrugged. “Who knows, he said she told him she’d let him know. Hopefully she says no. I don’t want her around you,” He said petulantly. “And I can’t believe he’s actually staying in Metropolis for her.” He said stressing the last word. He wished Oliver would just let this woman fall off the grid. He didn’t want Tess to have to deal with her on a daily basis and have a constant reminder around even if she was all the way in Metropolis.

He sighed and glanced at his girlfriend before pulling her hand to his lips. “How are you doing over there Red?” He asked softly.

“Chloe is not the only reason he’s staying in Metropolis. We’re having a lot of issues with that branch since Vincent went to work for Luthor Corp. I don’t think he’s taking his confidentiality clause as seriously as he was supposed to,” Tess commented. That branch of the company had always been a tricky one since it was on Lex’s turf, but it seemed like he’d been going out of his way to target them lately.

Tess didn’t know if he was bored or if he had some big plan that he was working on. She knew Oliver wanted to find out and she did too. It was the one conclusion she had come to over the past few days and she didn’t think Hal was going to like it.

“I’m okay right now,” she told him honestly. “I think it’s time for me to stop wallowing and actually go back to work.” Tess bit down on her lower lip as she watched Hal, knowing he was going to hate what she was about to say. “Actually, I think I want to go to Metropolis and help Oliver.”

Hal’s mouth dropped open. His eyes widened and he stared at his girlfriend for a full minute before clamping his jaw. She must be another one losing her mind. “Are you kidding me?” He asked her slightly angry. “After everything that’s happened you want to go to Metropolis and help the woman who started all of this?” He said tone incredulous.

“Tess…”He said his voice trailing off as he ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t think this is a good idea. The last thing we need is you on Lex’s radar, or any of us for that matter, which is why we fly under the radar.” He said softly. He knew in the end she was going to do what she felt was right, but he didn’t think going to Metropolis was going to help her problems.

“I want to go to Metropolis and help Oliver,” Tess reiterated. “Hal, I don’t know what I’m going to do about the Luthor thing. I could keep pretending like it never happened but that’s not going to change the things are shaky at QI in Metropolis and it’s my job to fix them. Let’s just pretend that Chloe never came to see me and we were all still living in blissful ignorance. Would Oliver be the one in Metropolis right now or would I be there?” she asked.

Oliver always sent her in first because he had other things to worry about and he trusted her. She knew part of the reason he was doing this himself was because he wanted to get to know Chloe, but he was also trying to protect her even though Hal was too angry to see that at the moment. Tess didn’t want to be protected.

“Hal, listen to me,” Tess pleaded when she saw his jaw clench. “This isn’t about me being on Lex’s radar. He has no idea that I have any connection to him and for now it’s going to stay that way.” Her stomach turned at the thought of him finding out who she really was. Tess definitely wasn’t ready to deal with that scenario yet.

Hal studied his girlfriend’s face for a minute before shaking his head. “Yeah, fine normally it would be you there, but he’s already out here and he said he’s staying, so why do you need to go too?” He asked. Maybe he was being selfish, but once Lex realized Oliver was in town he knew the other man was going to make things into some kind of pissing contest between him and Oliver and he didn’t want to see Tess accidentally get caught in the crossfire.

But his girlfriend was nothing if not persistent. He pursed his lips and leaned back against the couch as he rested on arm on the armrest. “You realize if you go and do this I’m going with you right?” He asked her eyebrow raised as he gave her a stern look.

Tess leaned over and set her laptop on the coffee table before shifting closer to him on the couch so she could wrap her arms around his neck. “I was really hoping you would say that,” she admitted as she pressed a light kiss to his jaw. Tess prided herself on being strong and she was not going to hide in their apartment forever, but the truth was, the thought of going to Metropolis and running into Lex scared her.

He might not know who she is to him, but she knew and that was enough to make her apprehensive. She felt guilty asking Hal to put his life on hold and go with her, but she really needed him by her side.

“I know you don’t agree with this decision and maybe you’re right,” Tess said. She knew she wasn’t thinking clearly and Oliver always had a hard time being rational when it came to anything Luthor related. But her instincts were telling her that she needed to do this and Tess knew she wasn’t going to stop thinking about any of this anytime soon. Maybe it would be good for her to get back to work and focus on solving business problems. “This is just something I need to do,” she told Hal.

He sighed and nodded cupping her cheek as he started into her eyes. “I love you, and you know regardless of how I feel about what’s going on, I’m here one hundred and ten percent for you…always,” he told her softly before capturing her lips in a light kiss, coaxing her mouth open and deepening it. He pulled back a minute later and caught her gaze. “I’m going to need a couple of days to get this together and talk to Ferris so I can take leave,” He told her quietly. “But we can go after that…If you want.”

“Thank you,” Tess replied quietly. She kissed him again before shifting closer so she was sitting in his lap. “I love you too,” she added as she snuggled against him, resting her head on his chest. “I don’t know if this is the right decision or not, but I feel like I need to go and I can’t do this without you,” she said quietly. The truth was that she wasn’t sure if she could do this at all, but she had to at least try. Tess knew it wasn’t healthy for her to keep hiding out in their apartment, no matter how much she wanted to.

Hal nodded. He could see the uncertainty on her face. He knew this was hard for her and if she was determined to do this there was no way he was letting her do it alone. “You don’t have to do this without me, like I said, I’m here.” He told her quietly with a small smile. He might not agree with her decision, but he wasn’t going to argue with her and make her upset. He was determined to stay by her side no matter what.

 

______

 

Chloe sat on the couch, feet resting on the coffee table, computer on her lap, hair in a messy bun as she scrolled through the read outs of different Queen Industries divisions. After Oliver had left several hours ago, she decided to take a break from going over the information Lois had taken from Lex, and look into the company that Oliver wanted her to be a part of.

The truth was, Chloe was getting more than a little stir crazy spending her days at home and her bank account was steadily draining. She needed a job and though she’d sent several resume’s out all the newspapers in the area weren’t hiring, even the ones who had put ad’s in the crit section saying they were hiring. Apparently Lex’s reach went several cities over and there was no way Chloe was going into retail of any kind.

She didn’t know the first thing about those kinds of jobs and she had no desire to learn about them. She needed something that paid well, but still gave her the freedom she needed to help out Clark out on occasion as well as the time and resources to keep looking into Lex. She’d need to find out if this job Oliver was offering her came with access to the company’s severs and what not, because that would probably be helpful with her research.

She glanced at her email icon and bit her lower lip. She could send a message to his personal email and ask, but he hadn’t actually given that information to her and it might look weird if she were to email him there. Then again he already knew she’d been researching him, just like she knew he had with her, could it really get stranger than that? Chloe was in the process of weighing the idea in her head when she heard the lock on the door click before it was pushed open.

She glanced up and watched as Lois made her way into the apartment. Chloe grinned as Lois fumbled with an umbrella shaking it off a slight frown on her face. She arched and eyebrow at her cousin and chuckled lightly. “Hey Lo, rough day at the office?” She asked lightly.

“Lex Luthor is the devil,” Lois replied. She tossed the umbrella on the floor and shrugged off her coat, dropping that on the floor as well. She stepped out of her shoes and padded across the apartment to the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of wine and didn’t bother with a glass, opting instead to take the entire thing with her as she sat down on the couch across from her cousin.

The day had been hell, plain and simple. Lex had sent her on a wild goose chase story and she’d been forced to battle the elements to get interviews that led to nowhere. She knew he was getting back at her for the exposé she had written about one of his buddies in the city council office. He’d been forced to print it when she’d threatened to send it to the Inquisitor. Lois had been waiting for his payback ever since and this was it.

“How was your day?” she asked as she uncorked the bottle and took a long sip. Lois relaxed into the couch as she waited for Chloe’s answer. She could see there was something different about her cousin. The familiar spark was back in her eyes and Lois wondered if she had found something.

Chloe tilted her head to the side as she watched her cousin take a sip directly from the bottle, her tone slightly amused when she spoke. “You say that like you’re surprised. We already know Lex is the devil,” She told her while pointing in the brunette’s direction. She closed her laptop, leaned forward and placed it on the coffee table before shifting her body in Lois’s direction. She pulled her feet up on the couch and held out a hand for the bottle. “It’s funny you should mention my day. I received the oddest visit with a job offer attached to it,” She said lightly.

“Believe me, I’m not surprised and I don’t want to waste time talking about Lex,” Lois said. She made a face and took another sip of wine before passing the bottle over to her cousin. “A visit and a job offer? That sounds intriguing,” she commented. Lois could tell from Chloe’s expression that there was a story there and she wanted to hear all about it. She knew Chloe was frustrated that she’d been out of work this long and Lex was blocking her from getting jobs with other local papers. Lois really hated that man.

Chloe took a small sip of wine before passing the bottle back to Lois. “What I’m about to tell you is off the record so don’t get any ideas,” She said while giving her cousin a stern look. “Oliver Queen stopped by here this morning. Apparently he’s coming to work at the Metropolis branch of Queen Industries for a while and he offered me a position in the company.” She said nonchalantly even though she was feeling anything but nonchalant about it.

Working at Queen Industries, if she decided to take the position, would be a big deal, especially once Lex found out about it. She had no doubt he’d been keeping tabs on her employment status because he was a jerk like that and he enjoyed watching people suffer.

Lois’s eyes widened. “Oliver Queen came to our apartment and offered you a job?” She took the bottle back and gulped down another large sip as she tried to wrap her head around that. Her curiosity peaked at the notion that one of the world’s most famous billionaires was going to be setting up camp in Metropolis, but she ignored that part and focused on the fact that said billionaire wanted her little cousin to work for him.

“What kind of job? Don’t take this the wrong way, Chlo, but you’ve never really expressed interest in the whole corporate thing so I’m guessing you weren’t applying for anything that might catch his attention. But he obviously sought you out for a specific reason,” Lois commented. She knew there had to be a lot more to this story. She doubted the CEO made a habit of knocking on doorsteps of potential employees unless he had an ulterior motive than just a simple job offer.

Chloe nodded. “I said the same thing to him and I also pointed out that I wasn’t nearly qualified enough to be working at a company like his. But it was my research on Tess and Lex that prompted him to ask.” She told her cousin calmly, pausing and giving her a second to digest that, the sound of the rain pounding against the roof filling the room as she continued talking. “Apparently his people or him whatever had gone through a lot of trouble to bury things about her past, not her being Lionel’s daughter, but other things and I found them something he said he didn’t think many people could do.” She told her, a hint of pride in her voice.

There weren’t many things that Chloe felt she was good at, but when it came to computers and finding information people wanted to keep hidden, well that was her forte. “He wants to hire me for my research skills. He wants someone to look into the companies he’s going to be doing business with and let him know if they’re on the up and up I guess. Things like that.” She told her as she bit her lower lip.

“You are the best,” Lois agreed without hesitation. Her cousin’s skills blew her away sometimes and she knew she’d been using them to help Clark for years. “It sounds like you made an impression on this guy,” she commented. She took another sip of wine and then leaned over to set the bottle on the table. “I don’t suppose you want to tell me about all these juicy things you found out about this Tess woman?” She gave Chloe a hopeful look and sighed when her cousin just stared at her. “Spoilsport,” Lois teased as she pulled her legs onto the couch and folded them underneath her body. “Do you really think he covered them up for her? Is there a story there? Maybe she’s one of his bed buddies.”

Chloe scrunched her nose at the thought of Oliver and Tess together. The more she talked to Oliver, the more it seemed like the stories written about him in the tabloids were a disgusting fabrication secondhand stories that people hadn’t gotten all the facts for. She shook her head as she played with the hem of her sweater. “No, she has a boyfriend that’s she’s been with for several years. I don’t know much about him though since I didn’t bother looking into him.” She said with a shrug.

“It seems like Oliver is close to Tess, but if I had to wager a guess I’d say it’s strictly in a friendship capacity.” She told her cousin as her brows furrowed. “You know the more I talk to him the more ridiculous all these articles about him seem. I mean I doubt he would be able to run a successful business, know the ins and outs of his company and all the divisions id he was out partying every night and bringing random woman home with him.” She said with a wave of her hand. “There’s definitely more to Oliver Queen than meets the eye,” She said a spark of curiosity in her green orbs.

Lois raised an eyebrow at her cousin’s defensive tone. She hadn’t given it much thought when she’d offhandedly made the remark about Oliver and Tess, but it sounded like Chloe had been thinking about the billionaire more than she’d let on. She obviously didn’t like the idea of him having any kind of relationship with Tess and Lois wondered if that meant she was interested in him.

Lois had never met the guy but she knew Oliver had a reputation for being quite the charmer. She also knew Chloe was too smart to fall for any kind of charming act so if her cousin thought there was more to the guy than just what was on the surface, Lois believed her.

“It sounds like you have a pretty high opinion of this guy already,” she commented. Lois knew she had to choose her words carefully or Chloe was likely to get defensive and tell her that she was imagining things. “How closely would you be working with him if you took this job?” she asked. Even though Chloe hadn’t said one way or the other, Lois was pretty sure she was leaning toward taking it.

Chloe shrugged. “Well he doesn’t like Lex, he doesn’t completely hate me for ruining his friend’s life and he offered me a job. My opinion of him now is higher than when I first met him,” She said as she thought about the first two conversations they’d had and made a face. She shook herself out of her thoughts and shrugged. “I’m not sure, I didn’t ask. I assume if I accept the position he’ll give me more detail about it, but it’s a big company, one of the largest out there.” She told her cousin.

“I’ll probably be working like twenty floors below him. He’s the CEO of the company I highly doubt we’ll be sharing coffee and lunch.” She said as she pointed to the bottle Lois was still holding. “You going to hog the wine or share with your favorite cousin?” She asked amused.

Lois handed her the bottle back. “Right, it’s a big company and he’s a busy guy, but he still came to your home and offered you a job.” She watched her cousin’s face carefully for any sign that there was more to the story that she wasn’t telling her. Either Chloe’s poker face was better than Lois remembered or she really didn’t think anything of it. Lois knew her cousin was good at living in denial when she wanted to be. “It sounds to me like he’s interested in you for a reason,” she continued when Chloe didn’t say anything. “Maybe he likes you.”

Chloe snorted as she took another short sip of wine. “I doubt that,” She chuckled and shook her head at her cousin’s silly ideas. “More like he knows I’ve hacked into his secured sever twice and he wants to keep an eye on what I do, which coincidentally I’d also like to do with him.” She told the brunette lightly. “So far he seems clean, but I still feel like there’s something I’m missing and him offering me a job gives me the perfect excuse to keep my eye on him without being too obvious.” She said with a tilt of her head and a grin.

“Sounds like you’ve got this all figured out,” Lois commented. It also sounded like they had their own unique brand of foreplay going on, but she knew better than to say that to her cousin. Chloe would just deny it and then she’d stop telling her things so she wouldn’t get any ideas. It was too late for that, but Lois would keep her opinion to herself for the time being. She wanted to see how things played out with Chloe and the billionaire. “When are you going to tell him that you accept the job?” she asked.

Chloe eyed her cousin and her smile widened. “I’ll probably let him know by the end of the week. I want to do a little more research before I accept the position, and I’ll probably what to know what’s expected of me beforehand and things like that. I’m not sure if he has the details hammered out and is just waiting for me to accept, knowing him that’s probably what he’s doing, so we’ll see.” She said while rolling her eyes.

Lois decided not to point out that Chloe’s comments made it sound like she’d known the man for years instead of having only met him twice in her life. Her cousin had a purpose again and Lois knew without a doubt that Chloe would take the job and it would probably be good for her. Despite her denials, Lois could tell that Chloe already had a high opinion of Oliver Queen and Lois hoped he was the kind of guy who was worth her cousin’s respect. Lois had every intention of checking him out herself when she had a chance, but for now, she would stay out of it and leave things to Chloe. She trusted her cousin’s judgment.

“That sounds like a good plan, cuz.” Lois reluctantly pushed herself off the couch. “I’m going to go change. Want to order a pizza and watch some movies?” She knew Clark would be busy because criminals like to use bad weather as an excuse to come out full force and Lois wasn’t in the mood to write the boring story she’d spent the day chasing. She’d save that for the morning when she was back at the Planet.

Chloe smiled leaning forward and placed the bottle of wine on the table before stretching. “Sure, I could use a break from the computer,” She said lightly. “I’ll order now,” She said while pushing herself off the couch and moving towards the phone. A night of some mindless TV and girl time with her cousin was the perfect way to end the day and would give her some time to mule things over before giving Oliver a call at the end of the week.


	5. Chapter 5

Tess’s heels clicked along the marble floor as she crossed the lobby of the Metropolis branch of Queen Industries. She nodded at the head of security and made her way to the elevators. She stepped into the box and pressed the button for the top floor. She had always liked this branch of the company.

It was the second largest next to the Star City branch and it was located in the middle of the city, just a few blocks away from Luthor Corp. and the Daily Planet, the other two biggest businesses in Metropolis. Of course both of those were owned by Lex Luthor. She ignored the little voice in her head that reminded her that they could be part of her legacy as well. Tess wasn’t interested in that, not at this point in her life.

It was Monday morning and she and Hal had arrived in Metropolis the day before. Oliver owned a building in one of the industrial areas of the city. He lived in the penthouse when he was in the city and he’d renovated several other apartments in the building for the team members to use when they were in town so Tess and Hal were staying in one of those.

She knew Hal wasn’t happy and things were tense between him and Oliver for the moment, but it meant a lot that he’d put everything on hold to come with her. Tess just felt like she needed to be in Metropolis for the time being. She would focus on fixing things at the company and go from there.

She stepped out of the elevator onto the executive floor. This part of the building was much smaller than the Star City offices. Oliver’s office was on one end and hers was on the other. There was a third office and a small conference room in between the two, but it was mainly used for private meetings. There was a larger conference room on one of the lower floors that the other managers and VPs used. She noticed the light was on in the third office and walked toward it.

Oliver had told her that Chloe had accepted the job offer late Friday afternoon and he’d asked her to be there first thing this morning. Tess wasn’t surprised that he was late. He’d left the city on Saturday to help Victor and AC take down a 33.1 facility in Missouri and he hadn’t gotten back to Metropolis until around three a.m. the night before so he was probably still sleeping. Tess poked her head into the office and saw Chloe standing near the window like she wasn’t sure what to do with herself. Tess swallowed hard and tried not to think about the last time the two of them had been in an office together.

“Good morning, Chloe,” she said lightly.

Chloe had been looking out the window second guessing herself for taking this position yet again when she heard the sound of Tess Mercer’s voice break through the silence in the room. She took a deep breath and swallowed hard before turning around slowly to face the other woman.  Oliver had mentioned something about Tess coming out to Metropolis and she had been wondering if she’d run into the other woman at the office.

He had told her when she came in on Monday to come to his office and they’d discuss the finer points of her job and since he hadn’t been there when she got in, Chloe decided to make some coffee to keep herself busy. She hadn’t expected to run into the other woman so soon.

She gave the red head half a smile and gripped the coffee in her hand tighter the familiar guilt creeping up in her chest. “Good morning Miss Mercer, how was your trip from Star City?” She asked lightly as she gazed at the other woman.

“It was uneventful,” Tess replied. Despite Chloe’s tone, Tess could see the guilt written all over her face. She figured they should address the elephant in the room before they went any further. “Please call me Tess,” she said. “We’re going to be working together and things really aren’t that formal around here, especially on this floor. Oliver and I know each other a little too well to be bothered with those kinds of things.” She gestured for Chloe to have a seat at the table and Tess placed her bag down before sitting down in one of the high-backed leather chairs.

“Chloe, I want to start by saying that I don’t blame you for telling me what you found out about my lineage.” Tess ignored the sick feeling that churned in her stomach at the thought. “I understand why you did what you did and I appreciate you coming to me with the information before taking it to anyone else. I haven’t made any kind of decision regarding it, but if we’re going to be working together, I think it’s important that we clear the air,” she said.

Chloe sat down placing her mug on the table and nodded. She didn’t bother to tell her that she most likely wouldn’t be staying up here because she had wanted to talk to the other woman and apologize since she left Star City. “I appreciate that, but the truth is…I should never have blind sighted you with that kind of information. I acted on impulse, which is unusual for me and I’m honestly sorry.” She said softly.

“I never should have come to Star City and it’s unreasonable for me to ask you to put yourself out there the way I did. While I factored in the possible consequences from the press I failed to think about the fact that Lex would also know who you are and trust me, I would never willingly put someone in the line of fire with him…it’s not a good place to be,” She told her quietly before glancing down at her coffee and bringing the mug to her lips taking a long sip.

When she glanced back up she gave Tess hesitant smile. “There’s no reason to add anyone else to Lex’s bad side. I’ll figure things out on my own and you don’t need to worry about me sharing that information for anyone.”

“I know you’re not going to say anything, Chloe, but thank you for clarifying that again,” Tess replied. She was confident that Oliver’s theory was accurate and Chloe had some kind of firsthand knowledge about what happened in the 33.1 facilities. Tess had thankfully never been inside one but she’d heard stories from the team about the horror that went on inside of them.

She wondered if Chloe herself had a power or if someone close to her did. Either way, Tess knew it wasn’t her business at this point and she wasn’t going to push Chloe for any kind of explanation. The woman obviously felt bad about what had happened and Tess didn’t want to make it worse by prying into her personal life.

“It’s settled then. That particular topic shall stay off the table for the time being. Honestly, I prefer not to think about it and that’s one of the reasons I’m here in Metropolis. I don’t know how much Oliver told you, but the person he had in charge of this branch defected to Luthor Corp. which is a slap in the face on many levels.” Tess scowled. She had personally vetted that guy and she was furious that he had been so easily stolen away by Lex. “How much has Oliver told you about your job description?” she asked.

Chloe nodded taking another sip of her coffee and leaned back in her chair feeling slightly better about the situation. “He did mention that when we spoke,” She said, “And all he’s told me about it is that he wants me to look into companies that you guys are going to be doing business with,” She shrugged. “He hasn’t given me much more to go on other than that,” She told Tess while once again lifting the mug to her lips.

“I don’t know why anyone would rather work for Lex,” She made a face. “He’s a horrible boss, then again I suppose most people will do anything for enough money,” She said with a sigh.

“Money is the root of all evil, or so they say,” Tess muttered. “But I have no doubts that Lex paid handsomely for this employee and that’s fine. Queen Industries will go on without him and all Lex has really done at this point is give Oliver and me a reason to fight harder against him, not that we needed another one.” She shrugged. “Now, let’s talk about your job. Oliver will be in later so I will get you started for the morning. Have you had a chance to check out your office?” she asked as she got to her feet and picked up her bag from the table.

Chloe followed her lead and stood her brows furrowing slightly. “Oh, no, I mean,” She paused as she lifted her coffee and pushed in her chair. “I didn’t realize I had an office.” She said while giving the red head and sheepish smile. Chloe had just realized she didn’t know what to expect with this job and she supposed it made sense that she had an office. She’d been working at the Planet for so long that she had forgotten people actually get more than a desk in a bullpen.

“It’s not your fault. I blame Oliver for not bothering to give you any details,” Tess replied. She smiled at Chloe so she would know that she wasn’t serious and motioned for her to follow her. She led her down the hallway to the office that was just on the other side of the conference room. “This will be yours. Feel free to close the door if Oliver and I get too loud for you,” she said.

Tess flipped on the lights and motioned to the desk. “I have no idea what kind of supplies are in there but there’s a supply closet on the floor below us. If that doesn’t have what you need, just let Oliver’s assistant know and she will get you whatever you need.” Tess paused. “I know she’s still in Star City, but she should be here today or tomorrow. Just tell Oliver if you need anything,” she said. Tess noticed Chloe was hovering in the doorway. “Is something wrong?” she asked.

Chloe glanced around the office before turning her gaze back to Tess. “No, I just didn’t realize I would be here, that’s all. I sort of just assumed I’d…be somewhere else,” She said lamely. She hadn’t expected to get her own office let alone one on the same floor as Tess and Oliver, which of course once again made her slightly suspicious. Then again she imagined Oliver was working off the fact that he didn’t know her well and since he wasn’t sure of her yet the whole keep your friends close and your enemies closer saying was in effect.

She shifted her stance and once again let her eyes wonder around the room. “It’s big,” She stated lightly before continuing. “And I don’t need much. Just a computer, coffee and I’m good.” She told Tess as she gave her a small smile.

Tess pointed to the computer that was sitting on the desk. “I know you already found the coffee,” she said, glancing at the cup Chloe held in her hand. She could see that Chloe still looked uncertain and Tess wondered if she was suspicious of Oliver’s motives for hiring her. Tess could understand that and she knew Oliver hadn’t had a chance to get into details with her since he’d had to go to Missouri with the team. “Chloe there is a reason that Oliver wanted you on this floor with us.” She motioned for Chloe to have a seat as she set her bag down on the visitor’s chair and pulled out a folder.

“This is where Oliver needs you to start. Inside that folder you’ll find all the pass codes you need to get into the system so that you don’t need to hack your way in this time.” Her tone was teasing as she set the folder on the desk. “There’s also a list of every employee who works in his building aside from Oliver and myself. We need to know if any of them are likely to defect to Luthor Corp. or if they might already be moles. Obviously this is a sensitive matter and we can’t have people know we’re investigating them which is why I’m going to ask you to keep this to yourself. If you need anything, please come to me or Oliver. No one else,” she said.

Chloe pursed her lips. It wasn’t that she thought Tess was lying, she could see from a business standpoint where all of that made sense especially since they had a high ranking employee recently leave and go to work for a competing company. She didn’t doubt the sincerity of the assignment, though she wasn’t entirely sure that was the only reason Oliver wanted her near.

She gave Tess a quick nod and motioned towards the desk. “Not a problem, I won’t say anything to anyone and I’ll get started on that now then,” She told her before motioned to the room they had just come from. “I brought my laptop with me also, I hope that’s alright.”

“That’s fine. The codes I gave you include a remote login so you’ll be able to access the system from any computer. Obviously we don’t normally like employees do that since there are more security risks, but something tells me you have a solid firewall on your laptop,” Tess said. She could see that Chloe still wasn’t one hundred percent convinced and that was going to have to be Oliver’s problem. Tess had her own work to do and she didn’t have time to sing his praises. She figured that would probably only make Chloe more suspicious anyway.

“Well this is my first day back here so I have a lot of work that I should be getting to. My office is on the other side of the conference room.” Tess pointed in the general direction as she lifted her bag onto her shoulder again. “If you have any questions or you need anything, feel free to come and get me. I’m sure Oliver will stop in here and see you when he comes in. Are you good?” she asked as she moved toward the door.

Chloe nodded. “I’m fine, thank you for showing me in here and giving me a place to start, idle hands and all,” She joked before giving Tess a genuine smile. “Have a good first day,” She said as she moved towards the door, “I’m just going to grab my things I left them in the other room.” She told her before giving the red head a small wave and heading in the opposite direction. She knew Tess and most likely Oliver were busy and she didn’t want either of them to think she needed hand holding.

This job was going to be a cake walk compared to what she usually hacked into. She doubted the employees or even the other businesses they worked with had security systems as complex as Lex Luthor, so Chloe wasn’t worried in the slightest.

 

______

 

Clark rushed down the busy street as he glanced down at his watch. He was supposed to be meeting Lois for lunch and he was running late again. The story of his life. Sometimes he wondered why Lois bothered to put up with him at all. He was knocked out of his thoughts as he bumped into someone almost knocking them to the ground. He reached out steadying the woman in front of him and giving her a sheepish look as he mumbled an apology.

She gave him a disapproving look before walking around him and continuing down the street. Clark shook his head and kept walking finally able to see the restaurant he was meeting Lois at on the next block. Things had been extra crazy lately and it seemed like criminals were coming out of the woodwork all over. Most things he was able to handle on his own but there had been something he wanted Chloe to look into earlier today and he hadn’t been able to find his friend anywhere.

He’d called her several times and when she didn’t answer he sped by the Talon, but she wasn’t there. He remembered something about Lois saying Chloe was starting a new job, but it just occurred to him that he hadn’t gotten any other details on the matter. He’d have to ask Lois about at lunch. Clark pursed his lips as he walked into the restaurant smiling at the hostess and gave her his name. She told him his other party was already there and showed him where to go.

Clark nodded his thanks and moved through the restaurant in the direction he was told to go. He caught sight of Lois and his features immediately brightened, the tension that had gathered in his body from the long day melted and his chest warmed. She seemed to have that effect on him. Clark wasn’t sure why it had taken him so long to realize it, but he was glad he finally had. He was happier with Lois than he’d ever been with anyone else.

He moved forward a few more steps and pulled out the chair opposite her, leaning over the table and pressing a light kiss against her lips before taking his seat and sending a wide smile on her direction. “Hi, sorry I’m late there was something that couldn’t wait while I was on my way here,” he told her while leaning forward and lowering his voice. “Fire,” he said quietly as he sat back in his seat. “You weren’t waiting too long, were you?”

“Twenty minutes, but I kept myself busy,” Lois said. She smiled at him, happy that he was there. She understood that Clark was going to be late for their lunch dates from time to time or all the time but she didn’t mind now that she knew what he was really doing and she admired him for putting other people first. She’d used the time to text Chloe to try and get information on how her first day was going, but her cousin had given her next to nothing and then told her that she was busy and to stop texting her unless there was an emergency. Luckily, Clark had walked in right after that.

“I’m glad you’re here now so we can order. I hope you know what you want,” Lois added as she raised her hand frantically in the air to try and get the waiter’s attention. They ate at this restaurant enough to have the menu memorized and she was starving. She had skipped breakfast because she’d been running late for work and now that she thought about it, she had skipped dinner the night before too.

Clark chuckled lightly as their waiter made his way over to the table. He took their order and less than five minutes later was making his way back towards the kitchen. Clark turned back to Lois and smiled. “You know, you wouldn’t be this hungry if you actually ate instead of skipping meals,” He said lightly. His girlfriend tended to get so busy that she forgot to eat. It seemed to be a family trait.

He reached forward and took one of her hands in his, caressing his thumb over the skin there lightly. “How was your morning? I’m sorry we didn’t see each other much. Lex gave me an assignment down at city hall,” He told her.

“I eat,” Lois said defensively. Sure, she forgot a lot of the time but it wasn’t her fault she got busy. She knew Clark was just teasing her though so she smiled at him so he’d know she wasn’t upset. “My morning was good. I’m working on a story about the new power plant they want to build near the docks. As far as I can tell neither side is in Lex’s pocket so maybe this one will actually make it to print without there being a war.” She made a face as she reached for her glass of water. She hated that they worked for one of the most prominent newspapers in the country and she was constantly being censored by the editor. It was disgusting. 

“Is there anything interesting going on at city hall?” Lois asked. She knew Lex was going to keep her from the political beat as long as possible after her last article.

Clark shook his head. “Not really, just the usual,” He said as he watched Lois for a minute. He knew she wasn’t happy about Lex keeping her away from city hall, but he also knew his girlfriend could find a story just about anywhere. She was pretty amazing like that. He reached forward lifting his glass and taking a sip of his water and speaking as he placed it back on the table.

“I was actually hoping I could talk to you about something,” He said a hint of nervousness in his voice as he met her gaze.

“Sure,” Lois said. She caught the hint of nervousness in his voice and she wondered if something was wrong. She knew things were picking up on the criminal front lately and Lex was always up to no good, but as far as she knew, nothing else had happened that she knew of. “What’s going on, honey?” she asked. Lois did her best to keep the nerves out of her voice, but she tapped her fingernails against her arm as she waited for Clark to tell her what was on his mind.

He could see her fingers moving rhythmically against her arm and he felt bad for making her nervous. “It’s nothing bad,” He said quickly, “I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to spend the weekend at the farm with me,” He said lightly. It wasn’t like Lois had never spent a night at the farm before, but things between them were still knew and it had never been planned. It was mostly when it got late and Clark didn’t want Lois to drive home even though it wasn’t far.

But this time he wanted to do something nice for her, maybe make her a nice romantic dinner, and for once not run out on her in the middle of their weekend.

Lois let herself relax. “I would love that,” she said. She smiled at Clark as her heart began to beat a little faster. She knew Clark cared about her and she knew that their relationship was important to him, but she couldn’t help feeling insecure sometimes. Clark had this huge job to do and she was just a reporter with a big mouth who tended to get herself into a lot of trouble. It really touched her that Clark wanted to the two of them to do something special together.

Clark let out a relieved sigh and grinned. “Good I’m glad,” He said softly. Sometimes, he couldn’t help but feel like Lois deserved better than him, someone who could focus more on her instead of always having to split his attention with the rest of Metropolis. He pushed the thoughts away not wanting to think about anyone else caring about Lois the way he did. He let go of her hand and lifted his glass again and taking another sip.

“What else is going on,” He asked lightly, “Have you talked to Chloe lately? I stopped by the apartment earlier and she wasn’t there. You said she was starting a new job?” He asked her as he raised an eyebrow in her direction.

“Yeah, she started at Queen Industries this morning. I texted her a few times to get some dirt, but she just kept telling me she’s busy.” Lois made a face. She still thought busy was Chloe’s way of saying that she didn’t want to talk about her job which only made Lois want to hear about it that much more. “She didn’t answer my question about how closely she was working with Oliver Queen and that tells me that the answer is very closely.” She smirked to herself.

She would get the truth out of Chloe sooner or later even if she had to drop by her office unexpectedly so she could get a glimpse of what was going on with her own eyes. Lois considered it. That was actually a good idea. She wasn’t going to do it now because it was her cousin’s first day, but maybe later in the week. Everyone got a lunch break, right?

Lois realized she was getting lost in her thoughts and Clark was looking at her expectantly. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “I’m not sure what hours she’s going to be working, but I have a feeling the job is going to keep her pretty busy.”

Clark frowned slightly. “She’s working at Queen Industries? How did she get that job?” He asked not sure how Chloe would get a job like that. As far as he knew she’d never worked in a business setting before so how had she managed to snag a job at one of the most prominent businesses in the country? And to be working closely with the CEO of the company, something seemed off about that.

Crap, Lois thought. She couldn’t tell Clark that Oliver Queen himself had offered her the job because then he would want to know how she knew Oliver and Lois couldn’t tell him that. She racked her brain trying to think of something that would make sense. Chloe was going to kill her if Clark got on her case about this job. “She applied for it,” she said.

Lois figured that sounded reasonable enough. “You know Lex has been blackballing her at all the newspapers in the area so she decided to expand her job search. The job has something to do with computers.” She waved her hand dismissively like the whole thing was boring.

“I might have gotten it in my head that she should try and get to know the CEO since he’s cute and she’s single.” Lois gave Clark a sheepish smile and hoped that he would be distracted by that part and forget the rest of what she’d hinted at. She knew Clark had a tendency to be overprotective when it came to Chloe and he’d probably go off on a tangent about how she shouldn’t get involved with someone she doesn’t know and some other stuff.

Chloe wasn’t going to be happy with her for steering him in that direction, but it was better than the truth. Not that Lois was completely sure what the truth was when it came to this job her cousin was doing.

Clark’s frown deepened. Lois thought Chloe should go after Oliver Queen? Confusion crossed his face as he glanced at his girlfriend. “Lois the only things I’ve ever seen about that guy are less than flattering. Chloe can do better,” He said as he shook his head before stopping and frowning. “Wait, you think he’s good looking?” He asked a slight pout touching his lips as their waiter came to the table and dropped off their food.

Clark nodded his thanks and when the waiter left he glanced back at Lois and arched an eyebrow in her direction while he waited for answer.

“Good looking for Chloe,” Lois stressed. She wished she’d never started this conversation. “You know because they’re both blonde and they’d look cute together.” She was pretty sure that was the lamest thing that had ever come out of her mouth but she was just babbling at this point. “Chloe said she thinks his reputation is exaggerated and even if it’s not, Chloe could use a little fun in her life. She’s had a rough year. But you know Chloe. She’s not going to mix business with pleasure so this conversation is really pointless,” she said quickly.

She picked up her cheeseburger and took a large bite, regretting it instantly when the cheese burned the roof of her mouth. Lois ignored the pain and focused on chewing slowly. She could see Clark was still watching her with that look of confusion on his face. She swallowed the food and reached for her water, taking a large sip to try and stop the painful burning. “So what do you want to do this weekend?” she asked.

Clark blinked at the quick shift in conversation and though he was still pretty confused he smiled slightly at the mention of the weekend. He shrugged lightly and lifted his burger, bringing it to his mouth and taking a bite. He chewed and swallowed before addressing her question. “I was thinking maybe we could leave work a little early on Friday rent a few movies, come back to the farm, maybe build a fire have some dinner and just enjoy a nice quiet weekend at home.” he said softly. “How does that sound?” he asked trying to read her facial expression.

Lois smiled. “It sounds perfect,” she said sincerely. She was relieved he was going along with her subject change but she was also really happy at the idea of spending the weekend with him. “I’ll make sure I turn all my stories in early on Friday.” She had a bad habit of waiting until a few minutes before deadline to get her work in but she didn’t want anything getting in the way of their weekend.

Clark grinned and nodded. “That sounds like a good plan,” He said lightly as he took another bite of his burger. Lois tended to get pretty involved in her stories and it was like everything else ceased to exist. It was one of the things he loved most about her. He was really glad she’d agreed to spending the weekend with him, his was looking forward to being able to have a normal weekend with his girlfriend.

 

______

 

Chloe sat at her desk, eyes on both computer screens in front of her as her fingers moved quickly over the keyboard. She had unplugged the monitor from the CPU and a few hours ago and connected it to her laptop before logging into the Queen Industries server. It was just after two in the afternoon and Chloe had been working nonstop on the files Tess had given her since the other woman left her office. Her office, that was still weird to her. She’d never had an office before.

She bobbed her head slightly to the music coming through the ear buds in her ear as she worked her way down the list of names. She had decided to go by floor figuring it would be easier and so far she’d gotten through the first ten floors of the company and had about twenty floors left to do. She had hoped to be halfway done by one, but there were more people than she thought there were, but she was pretty sure she was moving quick enough.

Chloe shifted in her seat, her skirt riding up slightly as she re-crossed her leg one heel hanging slightly off her foot as she finished yet another floor on the list. She was in the process of using the touch screen monitor to save and encrypt another file by floor on the desktop of her laptop when there was a knock on her door, but her eyes never shifted from the screen, not hearing it because of the music in her ears.

Oliver knocked again but when Chloe still didn’t answer, he turned the knob and pushed it open. He’d wanted to get into the office much earlier, but the sudden trip to and from Missouri had exhausted him and he’d ended up sleeping until almost eleven. His muscles had been stiff when he’d finally gotten out of bed and there was a nasty bruise on his right side from a fight with one of Lex’s guards before they had managed to get everyone out and blow up the lab.

Oliver had taken a long shower and then by the time he’d finished returning phone calls from his home office, it had been close to two. Any other day and he would have skipped coming into the office all together, but he’d wanted a chance to talk to Chloe.

He’d dropped by Tess’s office first and she had lectured him about not giving Chloe enough information. She told him that she’d given her the files on the employees to keep her busy but Tess also thought it wouldn’t hurt to check everyone out. Oliver was impressed with her quick thinking and told her as much to which she replied with something less than lady like and told him to get out. Oliver really felt the love from her sometimes.

Oliver walked into Chloe’s office and caught sight of the headphones in her ears. He smiled to himself as he watched her head moving to whatever beat she was listening to her as her eyes focused on the screen in front of her. She still hadn’t noticed him. He crossed the room and knocked lightly on her desk, amusement dancing in his eyes when the movement made her jump. “Hi,” he called loudly enough for her to hear him over the music.

Chloe’s heart jumped to her throat when she saw Oliver standing in front of her and she yanked the headphones out of her ears and gave him a sheepish like. “Hi,” She said as she straightened up in her seat and motioned to her headphones. “It was too quiet in here…frighteningly so.” She told him before taking a second to let her eyes run over his body. Her brows furrowed slightly.

He looked tired and slightly worn down. She assumed he must have had a long night, but she knew it wasn’t her place to ask. She arched an eyebrow, “What’s up? Did you need something?” She asked uncertainly not sure if he had just stopped by to say hi or if she was supposed to be doing something other than what she was doing.

“That’s all right. I hope I didn’t startle you,” Oliver said. He took a seat across from her, trying not to visibly wince when pain shot through his entire side. He cursed Lex and his guards as he forced a smile onto her face. “I don’t need anything,” he said. “I just wanted to see how your first day was going. I’m sorry I missed our scheduled meeting this morning. Something came up. But Tess told me she handled things.” Oliver wanted to get her take on the job so far and see if she was enjoying herself or if she was ready to run out the door. But he didn’t want to walk into her office and play twenty questions.

Chloe arched an eyebrow at him when she saw his brow crease slightly and a hint of curiosity filled her eyes as she watched him. “Don’t worry about it, things happen and yes Tess was very helpful, I’m glad I got a chance to talk to her.” She told him as she attempted to read his expression.

“It’s going alright, you have a lot of people working here,” She said as she pointed to the list, “I’ve only been able to get eleven floors done so far, but I should have all thirty done by the end of the day.” She told him with a shrug before pausing and leaning back in her chair. “How are you?” She asked while watching him carefully.

“I’ve been better,” Oliver replied. He frowned, surprised by his own honesty. He’d been all set to give her the standard bullshit answer that everything was fine, but for some reason, it sounded like she was genuinely asking and he found himself wanting to tell her the truth. “Sorry,” he said as he rubbed his hand over his face. “It’s been a long few days trying to get settled here and handle some other problems at the same time. But I’m sure you don’t want to hear about that.” He flashed a quick smile and leaned back in the chair.

“So you’re going floor by floor?” he asked nodding toward the list that was on her desk. “Have you found anyone suspicious yet?” Oliver wouldn’t be surprised if one or two employees were on Lex’s payroll. He knew the former VP had been a well-liked guy and it probably wouldn’t have been too hard for him to turn a few people.

Chloe’s face softened slightly and she hesitated before speaking. “It’s fine, and I’m sorry to hear you’re not having a good day…Maybe it’ll get better,” She said feeling the need to try and make him feel better, though she wasn’t sure why. She focused on the rest of his words and nodded as she pointed to the computer.

“Yeah, I thought it would be better to go by floor. I’ve categorized everything into three separate categories. Loyal, suspicious, and fire them.” She told him seriously. “I’ve color coded everything and put notes in each person’s file along with their everyday schedule and I’ve flagged what I think is suspicious.” She said while leaning forward slightly.

“There are a few people who obviously are incredibly stupid and are feeding other companies information about you through your sever…I mean really?” She shook her head and waved a hand in his direction. “Anyway I’ve saved the reports in a series of encrypted files and when I’m done I’ll email them to you. So far there are six people I’d advise you to fire immediately and the people I’ve flagged as suspicious well…obviously what you do is at your discretion.”

Oliver’s eyes widened. “You’ve found that many people already? Wow, this is worse than I thought,” he muttered. His shoulder slumped against the chair. He’d known things were getting bad in Metropolis, but he hadn’t realized it was quite this bad. He was really glad Tess had come up with this plan for Chloe to look into the employees, although at this rate, they were going to have a lot of job openings soon. ”I guess it’s a good thing Tess and I both came out here after all,” he said.

“Corruption and suspicions aside, how are you doing?” Oliver asked. He watched her face closely, wanting to see if she had any concerns. He knew it was the first day, but Chloe struck him as the type of person who made up her mind quickly. He wanted to make sure that she was happy with the job so he’d have a chance to get to know her better.

Oliver wasn’t sure why he was so confident that he’d be able to trust her with all the secrets he juggled on a daily basis, but all of his instincts were telling him that he could. Tess seemed to think so too. Hal thought they were both crazy, but he was too worried about Tess to see anything but his anger.

Chloe frowned slightly. “First if it makes you feel any better six really isn’t that bad. I’ve gone through hundreds of people since I got here and not all six are passing information to Lex. Some of them are passing things to smaller corporations in the area.” She said lightly feeling bad for making his day worse. Maybe she should just stop talking.

She swallowed hard as he studied her, leaning back in her seat and pursing her lips before arching an eyebrow in his direction. “I was a little surprised with the office and that I’m up here,” She said watching his facial expression at her words, “And I’m going to need more work than this,” She pointed to the stack of papers. “I get bored easily and I tend to get into trouble when I don’t have something to keep me occupied.” She told him as her lip twitched at the corner and she fought the smile that was trying to form on her face.

Oliver laughed. He opened his mouth to say something and then just started laughing harder. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m not laughing at you, but aside from Tess and myself, I can guarantee you’re the only person in this entire company who is actively looking for more work.” His shoulders relaxed as some of the tension left his body and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he caught her gaze again.

“Chloe, I promise I will keep you busy. But if something happens and you do get bored and you feel the need to use the servers to research Lex, I’m not going to stop you,” he told her pointedly. “Some of the more sensitive data that you tried to access before and were blocked from is still off limits,” he told her flatly.

Oliver had Victor make sure there was extra security on all of the 33.1 information and a lot of it had been moved from the servers completely and moved to Victor’s personal database until Oliver had a chance to see just how trustworthy Chloe is.

“If we’re being honest here, we both know we’re still feeling each other out and trust has to be earned on both sides. But please, if there are any questions that you have, feel free to ask. I’ll have no problem telling you when something is none of your business,” he said, grinning.

Chloe smirked as she leaned forward. “Noted as long as you realize if I wanted that information, I’d get it,” She said matter-of-factly as she caught his gaze a spark of mischief in her eyes. “But I’m going to behave myself until I’m done feeling you out.” She said pointedly, “And you’re right trust needs to be earned, which is also why I’m not going to look for them.” She told him before tilting her head to her side and arching an eyebrow.

“Who says I’m not researching Lex as I do this?” She pointed to the files as she leaned closer to him, “You have a better system then I do and I’m an excellent multi-tasker. And for the record despite you being who you are, I have absolutely no problem telling you what’s not your business either so I’m glad we’re on the same page there,” She told him amused.

“Also noted,” Oliver replied. He leaned forward a little more and folded his hands on the desk as he met her amused gaze. “Now that we’ve gotten the pleasantries out of the way, are there any questions I can answer for you? I assume the rules of our little game still apply,” he said. “You ask me a question; I ask you a question…” He let his voice trail over, giving her some time to think about it. Oliver had a lot of questions for Chloe but he knew their business relationship was going to have to be give and take.

She shrugged not pulling back, a slight grin still pulling at her lips as she tilted her head slightly, humor dancing in her eyes. “I didn’t realize we were playing a game Mr. Queen, but I’ll bite. I’d ask why you put me up here with you and Tess, but I think the answer to that is slightly obvious,” She said lightly. “But since I’m feeling generous this afternoon because your office has coffee that makes my taste buds dance, and you obviously have something you want to ask me, I’ll let you go first.” She said her gaze never leaving his.

They were definitely playing a game, but Oliver was having a hard time remembering what it was as he watched her. He barely knew the woman and yet she constantly seemed to be catching him off guard and surprising him. He wasn’t really sure what to do with that. “Maybe another time,” he said as he stood up. “You’ve got your list to finish and I’m sure there are plenty of headaches waiting for me in my office. Just let me know when you’re finished with your color-coded recommendations and I’ll let Tess know who she can fire. She likes to fire people. It helps her get her aggression out or something,” he joked.

Chloe leaned back in her chair as he stood, crossing her legs again, she nodded slightly startled by his abrupt behavior. “It shouldn’t be much longer and do not mock my color coding, it’s quite affective.” She said while pointing at him. “Also, I can sort of see why Tess might like that. Whatever you have to do keep things from getting physical, right?” She joked not able to look away from the eyes that were on her. Chloe was pretty sure no one had ever evoked such curiosity in her before and it was slightly unnerving.

“I don’t know about that,” Oliver replied. He held her gaze for a moment, the hint of a smile on his lips. “It’s not always a bad thing when you get physical. I’ll be in my office if you need me.” He turned to leave, pausing in the doorway to glance back at her one more time before he pulled the door closed behind him.

Oliver shook his head at himself as he walked down the hall to his office. He wasn’t really sure what had possessed him to say that to her but he couldn’t afford to lose focus. The fact that there was more than one mole in the company was upsetting, even if they weren’t working directly for Lex, he wouldn’t be surprised if the people they were working for were somehow tied to Lex.

But Oliver couldn’t figure out what Lex’s end game was and that really bothered him. Lex was always at his most dangerous when he wasn’t being completely transparent. They were all going to have to start working a lot harder because it was only a matter of time before Lex realized that he and Tess were in Metropolis and then he was bound to step up his game. They needed to be prepared for just about anything.


	6. Chapter 6

Hal made his way down the hallway towards Tess’s office. It was just after three on Friday and he had decided that if he wanted his girlfriend home at a decent hour he was going to need to come and get her. Hal knew she was trying to catch up on things since this was only her fifth day at the Metropolis branch, but she needed to take a break. He was worried she was going to stress herself out and that was the last thing he wanted especially with everything else that was going on.

Hal was walking, not far from Tess’s office, when his phone vibrated in his pocket and right as he pulled it out and glanced down to check it he slammed into someone.

Chloe had been making her way from the bathroom as she wiped her blouse with a napkin. She was having a horrible day and she still had a few more hours left. First her alarm hadn’t gone off in the morning and she had to wait for Lois to take her shower before she did, then her car wouldn’t start and she had to catch a ride in with Lois and if that wasn’t enough one of the interns that was dropping something off in her office not long ago had knocked her coffee into her.

She wasn’t looking where she was going as she headed back to her office when someone slammed into her. She blinked grunting slightly as an arm shot out to steady her. She sighed and glanced up right as Hal did the same.

He gave her a small smile. “Sorry about that, you alright?” He asked lightly as his brows furrowed slightly not sure if he’d ever seen the blonde before.

Chloe nodded. “Yeah, don’t worry about it,” She gave him a small smile and was about to walk around him when Oliver’s secretary called out to her. “Miss Sullivan I have some papers for you,” She said lightly. Chloe pursed her lips before turning around to face the other woman with a smile. “Thanks,” She said while taking the papers from her.

Hal stiffened his hands balling into fists at his sides. So this was the woman who had thought it was okay to fly to Star City and shatter everything his girlfriend ever knew about her life. He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes turning to slits as he glared at the blondes back.

Chloe laughed at something the other woman said before Mary made her way back towards Oliver’s office. Chloe turned and her path was being blocked by the angry looking man in front of her. She frowned and went to move around him, but he shifting blocking her path. Her hands tightened on the papers as her body tensed.

“Can I help you with something?” She asked her voice controlled, but her entire body on alert for trouble.

Hal took a step closer to her making her reflexively take a step back. “Actually there is, you can tell me in what world you think it’s okay to show up in someone’s life and give them earth shattering news before asking for their help. Are you crazy or just a dumb blonde?” He said harshly.

Chloe blinked taken aback by his words as realization hit her. She swallowed heavily. “You’re Hal,” She stated before taking another step back. She knew Tess had a boyfriend and it didn’t take a genius to realize he wasn’t exactly happy with her. She’d spent the last five days working with Oliver and Tess, but she heard the whispers and half of a few phone conversations with Tess and her boyfriend. It wasn’t hard to figure out that he wasn’t exactly crazy about her. “Look I just wanted to say--”

Her words were cut off immediately as Hal jabbed a finger in her direction his voice growing louder. “You think I care about what you want to say? The only reason you’re at the company right now is because my girlfriend and my best friend are trying to figure out what you know and what you want. Personally I don’t care either way.” He snapped.

“Do you have any idea what the information you gave to Tess has done? Do you even care? Or are you always this selfish?” He said while taking another step closer to her.

Chloe moved and her back hit the wall. Guilt welled in her chest even as anger coursed through her body. Yes she messed up, but this guy had no right to yell at her in the middle of an office building. He was starting to draw attention to people who were waiting for meetings and she lifted her head high and glared at him. “Look if you have something to discuss with me you can do that in my office but I’m not going to stand here and just let you yell to your heart’s content.” She told him sternly.

She shifted and went to walk around him, but he grabbed her arm and moved her none too gently back against the wall. Chloe winced, her glare intensifying. “You’re hurting me, let go,” She told him. 

Hal snorted loosening his grip slightly not meaning to hurt her just trying to keep her in place. “You shouldn’t be here. Haven’t you cause enough damage? You’re a selfish little girl who has no idea what she’s dealing with. You need to stay away from Tess, I don’t know why Oliver thinks he can trust you, but I don’t,” He eyed her, his hand still wrapped around her arm.

“You’re crazy,” She said in a controlled voice but her heartbeat was thumping loudly in her chest and she wondered if maybe she’d made the wrong decision. Maybe this wasn’t the place for her. There were other ways to find out about Oliver. She already felt horrible for what she had done to Tess. She couldn’t imagine what the other woman was going through. Her chest tightened again as anxiety welled in her stomach.

The sound of Hal’s yelling knocked her from her thoughts as he shook her lightly. “Are you even listening to me?” He snapped.

Chloe pushed aside her uncertainty and rolled her eyes. “You mean you’re still talking?” She asked her tone bored as she tried to figure out a way to get away from him.

Hal could see the calculating look in her eyes and he shifted again so more of his frame was in front of her. “If I were you I’d advise you to pack up your things and get the hell out of this office. I’ve known Tess and Oliver for years and they are good people. They don’t need some selfish bitch like you trying to stir up trouble. No one here wants or needs your help. We aren’t looking for someone who has some kind of vendetta against certain people,” He told her voice loud.

“You’re just a means to an end, he thinks you have inside information about things you shouldn’t, personal experience even, but I don’t care. Leave now or I will make you,” He said voice filled with anger.

Chloe’s back went rigid at his words and a lump formed in her throat. There was no way Oliver could know about any of that, it wasn’t possible. Her stomach clenched and she felt sick as she jerked her arm away from Hal, the force making her knock back into the wall. “Get away from me,” She told him attempting to keep her voice steady. She opened her mouth to tell him to stay away from her with his threats when there was a loud shout that came from her left. Apparently Hal’s yelling had reached Oliver’s office.

“What the hell are you doing?” Oliver demanded angrily as he stormed down the hall toward Hal and Chloe. He’d been in the middle of a conference call and he hadn’t thought much about the raised voices since he knew Tess was having a meeting with some of the managers in the conference room but then he’d recognized Hal’s voice and was making an excuse to get off the call when he heard Chloe shouting for him to get away from her.   

He could see how upset she was and her tense posture indicated that she was a little scared as Hal loomed over her like he was going to start shaking her any second. Oliver stepped between them and shoved Hal further back from Chloe. His eyes were flashing with barely controlled anger when he looked at his best friend. “What are you doing?” he repeated. “You do realize that this is an office and there are people around and where the hell do you get off talking to her like that?”

Hal’s eyes drifted from Chloe to Oliver a hint of shock in them. “Did you seriously just shove me?” He asked almost baffled by his best friend’s behavior. Anger surged through him, his glare now directed at Oliver as he pointed in Chloe’s direction. “Yes I know where I am and seriously? You’re shoving me around now, what for her?” He practically sneered.

“This is ridiculous Oliver, you’re making a bad call here and I’m not going to just sit around and let this…” His voice trailed off as his body tensed. “Woman come into Tess’s life just so she can cause more trouble. She isn’t worth it.” he told him flatly.

“And to be quite honest I’m still pissed that you offered her this job to begin with,” He said while lowering his voice and pointed at his friend. “Tess and I are your best friends Oliver. Maybe you should try and be a little more sensitive to what she’s going through instead of trying to integrate the enemy into the company,” He said his eyes once again shifting to Chloe and sending a glare in her direction.

Oliver’s jaw clenched and for the first time in his life, he gave serious thought to punching his best friend in the face. He understood that Hal was upset about Tess and he knew that he was pissed at him for brining Chloe into the fold, but that still didn’t give him the right to talk to her – or about her – that way.

“Yes, I shoved you in an attempt to knock some sense into your thick skull,” he snapped. He scowled at his friend as he took a step closer to him. “I don’t care how mad you are, last time I checked, we’re not the kind of people who corner woman in hallways and shout at them. You need to get a grip,” he ordered.

He glanced back at Chloe, wincing when he saw the look on her face. Oliver had no idea what was going through her head, but he was guessing it wasn’t good. Hal had probably just undone all the progress they had made since she’d started working for him. He turned back to Hal. “Hiring Chloe was my decision for my company and I didn’t ask for your opinion nor do I want it. Tess doesn’t have a problem with her being here so you shouldn’t either. This really isn’t the time or the place to discuss the other issues you have,” he said pointedly.

Hal pursed his lips and met Oliver eyes as he stood there quietly for a minute. He glanced at the blonde behind Oliver and he couldn’t read the expression he saw on her face. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath before looking back at his friend. His voice was low, tone cool. “I really hope you know what you’re doing Oliver.” He took a step back. “Keep her away from me and from my girlfriend,” He said voice hard before abruptly turning on his heel and heading in the direction of Tess’s office.

Chloe watched him go her heart pounding in her chest. Hal Jordan was someone she had completely glossed by when she was looking into Tess. She hadn’t been interested in prying into the other woman’s personal life. It was the same reason she’d left all the information about Oliver alone that predated his boat crashing, but now she realized she had made a mistake.

One she’d be rectifying this weekend. Hal was officially on her radar, because that was a reaction she hadn’t been expecting. She had figured he was angry, but that was, well, more than angry.

Oliver sighed. He knew he hadn’t heard the last of this and he had a feeling that he and Hal would be having this out sooner rather than later. But first he had to deal with Chloe and find out just how much damage Hal had done. He turned around, slipping his hands into his pockets as he met her gaze. “I’m sorry,” he said simply.

“I only caught the tail end of the conversation, but he had no right to say anything to you.” He tilted his head in the direction of his office. “Would you mind stepping into my office for a few minutes?” Oliver didn’t want to continue talking in the hallway where anyone could overhear them. He would leave Hal to Tess for the time being.

Chloe pursed her lips hesitating for a minute and watching Oliver quietly before pushing herself away from the wall and nodding. “Sure.” She said as she followed him towards his office a dozen thoughts flying through her head as confusion welled inside of her. The last five days had been going well or at least she thought they had, but if Hal’s words were true this whole thing was all just some big lie to find out what she knew and how she knew it.

And Chloe wasn’t really sure why that thought made her heart clench. She’d spent the last few days doing her work and studying the people around her learning what made them tick. Oliver was difficult to read, but she thought lately that maybe she was seeing more of the person he was instead of the person he pretended to be. Now she wasn’t so sure.

Chloe came to a stop right inside his office the tension still in her posture as the excess adrenalin started draining from her body. She stood there biting the inside of her cheek not sure what to expect from him.

Oliver closed the door and walked around his desk to take a seat. He gestured to the visitor’s chair. “Please sit, Chloe,” he said. She looked like she was thinking about turning and running away at any second and that was the last thing he wanted. He was seriously going to strangle Hal for this.

He could only imagine the things his friend had said to her before he’d intervened. “I don’t blame you for being upset and I’m sure you’re angry, but I’d really like to talk about this. Hal does not speak for me and contrary to what he thinks; he doesn’t speak for Tess either. I never would have asked you to work for me if I didn’t know for a fact that Tess was okay with it.”

He was pissed at Hal for suggesting that he would do anything to jeopardize Tess or Hal for that matter. Oliver considered both of them family, the only family he had, and for Hal to imply that he was being selfish was infuriating. It was like his so-called best friend didn’t know him at all. Oliver bit down on the inside of his cheek in an effort to calm down. He would deal with his problem with Hal later. Right now, he wanted to see if he had any chance of fixing things with Chloe.

Chloe could see some kind of struggle going on with him and she sat down, crossing her legs and keeping her back straight. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. He isn’t the first person who’s felt the need to let me know exactly what he thinks of me and I’m sure he won’t be the last. With the day I’ve been having this was a fitting way for it to end I suppose.” She told him brushing it off as she met his eyes.

It was after all the truth, normally she was more prepared for it, but she was Chloe Sullivan and one person yelling at her wasn’t going to scare her away. Though she was now questioning whether or not she should have accepted Oliver’s job offer. Maybe it would be better if she just quit, then again she didn’t want to let Hal think he had scared her away, because she wasn’t afraid of him.

“It’s not fine,” Oliver said. He wondered what else had happened to make her day bad, but he assumed she didn’t want to talk about it or she would have. “Hal doesn’t know you and he has no right to speak to you or anyone that way. He’s pissed off at the world because Tess is hurting right now and it makes him feel less useless to blame you for her troubles but it’s not fair to you and I’m sorry,” he said again.

Oliver wished Chloe would give him more to go on so he knew how she was really feeling, but it was obvious she had no intention of letting him see her vulnerable side. He supposed he understood that, but he felt guilty that there wasn’t more he could do to make things better for her.

“Is there anything I can do?” Oliver asked. He knew he probably sounded like a broken record at this point, but he didn’t want Chloe to be angry with him or stop trusting him. Not that he thought she trusted him in the first place, but he’d felt like they’d made some progress this week. He still thought it was too soon to bring her into the fold completely, but he did want to start giving her more confidential tasks to work on.

Chloe could see the genuine concern on his face and she sighed her shoulders slumping lightly as she decided to throw him a bone. “Look he just startled me that’s all, I promise. And he has every right to be angry after what I did, thought he might need to work on the delivery of that anger,” She joked trying to lighten the situation before turning serious again. “Honestly I’m fine.” She told him, not bothering to mention that her research was now going to be including his best friend.

She hesitated for a minute, “Would you mind if I took off for the day? I know it’s still early, but it’s been a long day.” She said quietly.

“Sure,” Oliver said, resigned. Chloe obviously wasn’t going to give him anything else to go on and he suddenly felt like there were new walls between them. He really hoped Hal was happy with himself. Oliver rolled his eyes at his thoughts and smiled at Chloe. “It’s the weekend, right? My days tend to run together but you did a good job this week so feel free to go. Big plans?” he asked.

Oliver still knew next to nothing about Chloe aside from what he’d learned in his research and a few things he’d picked up during their conversations. He had no idea what she liked to do in her spare time and for reasons he couldn’t explain, that was suddenly bothering him.

Chloe smiled and shrugged. “Not really, I’ve got the apartment to myself though, so I suppose I’ll bask in the lack of my crazy cousin, relax maybe do a little research…” She said before pausing as the grin slid from her lips and she let out a small noise, “My cousin,” She said lightly just now remembering that she didn’t have a car to take her home. She glanced at the clock near Oliver’s desk and groaned at the time. Lois had most likely already left work to head home and pack for her weekend with Clark. Great, now how was she supposed to get home?

Oliver frowned at the sudden change in her demeanor. “What about your cousin?” he asked. “Is everything okay?” Chloe had mentioned her cousin a few times and it seemed like they were really close. But right now, she seemed upset. He tried to remember if he’d heard anything about Lois Lane in the past few days. Nothing came to mind.

Chloe shook her head. “Oh, yeah,” She said sheepishly. “Everything’s fine. It’s just, part of my bad day started with my car. It didn’t start this morning and my cousin gave me a ride here. But I just realized she’s spending the weekend with her boyfriend and most likely already left Metropolis.” She told him with a small sigh. “Which probably explains all the text messages from earlier, but I was in the middle of something and then that new intern thought it would be nice to share my coffee with my blouse,” She pointed to her chest not even realizing where she was directing his eyes.

She had no idea why she felt the need to share any of this with him it’s not like he cared; he was probably just asking to be polite. He was her boss for god sake. She flushed slightly. “Sorry I’m done complaining, but I should probably try and find a cab that won’t mind taking the two hour drive to Smallville,” She said lightly, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. She was tired and she wasn’t looking forward to spending two hours in a cab.

His eyes flickered to the stain on her blouse and he forced himself not to let them linger there and quickly met her gaze again. Oliver was surprised to hear her opening up to him and she seemed just as surprised to be sharing. He noticed the smile she was giving him was forced. “I’ll drive you home,” he said.

Oliver doubted she wanted to spend two hours in a cab after the day she’d been having. “It won’t kill me to get out of here a little early,” he said. Oliver turned to his computer and started shutting down the stuff he’d been working on. He figured they could wait until Monday. It had been a long week and he liked the idea of a two hour drive. Maybe it would give him a chance to get to know Chloe on a more personal level.

Chloe blinked. “What?” She asked confused before she shook her head. “No, I mean you don’t have to do that. It’s okay; it won’t kill me to take a cab. And you’ve got work…” She said her voice trailing off as she tried to come up with another excuse for him not to drive her home. She didn’t want him to feel like he had to just because of  what happened with Hal, and it was possible the  thought of being alone in a confined space with him for two hours made her stomach flutter in a slightly nervous way though she wasn’t quite sure why.

“Work, really?” Oliver teased. “Sorry Chloe, you’re going to have to come up with a better excuse than that if you want to talk me out of this. Not that it would be possible for you to talk me out of this because I already made up my mind that I want to make the drive out to Smallville so you may as well come with me.” He winked at her as he rose from his chair and motioned toward the door. “I just need a few minutes to talk to Tess and then we can go.” He smirked when he saw that she was still just sitting in the chair looking at him like she had no idea what was happening. He liked that he was catching her off guard for a change.

She stood up quickly, opened and closed her mouth for a minute before sending a disapproving look in his direction and poking him lightly in his chest as she moved by him. “You Mr. Queen,” She said in an exaggerated tone, “Bug me.” She told him matter-of-factly before walking towards the door. “I’m going to grab my things, but don’t think this whole you taking charge thing is going to become a habit,” She said her expression stern, but there was amusement in her eyes as she sent him a small grin before moving out of his office and down the hall.

Oliver grinned as he watched her walk away. He obviously didn’t bug her that much or she wouldn’t have agreed to his plan. Still grinning, he made his way to the other end of the hallway. Tess’s office door was closed and he could hear harsh voices on the other side. Without bothering to knock, Oliver walked into the office and closed the door at his back. Tess was sitting at her desk with a scowl on her face while Hal paced the office looking just as angry as he had been in the hallway. Oliver’s smile faded as he looked back and forth between his friends. 

“Problem?” he asked sarcastically.  

Tess rolled her eyes. She had heard most of what Hal had said to Chloe from the conference room and unfortunately, so had everyone else in the room. She’d sped through the meeting and dismissed everyone so she could get to her office and deal with her irate boyfriend. She had barely had a chance to say anything before he’d erupted over how angry he was with Oliver and how he couldn’t believe he was taking Chloe’s side over his.  

“You’re not helping,” Tess told Oliver. She could see that he was mad too and she really didn’t want to deal with either one of them at the moment.

Hal glared at Oliver watching his friend closely. He seriously didn’t know why having this woman work and the company and keeping her happy was so important to his friend. It was really starting to get on his nerves. “No he isn’t, but apparently what I think no longer matters to him. What is it about this girl Oliver?” he asked. “What do you like her or something?” He said sarcastically.

“I mean Jesus the woman hacked through your serves; do you know how difficult something like that had to be? And now you’re freely giving her access to them and all the information on Tess and you that she could possibly want? What a pair of green eyes and a cute little smile is all it takes to best Oliver Queen? He said with a scowl. “I don’t know why either of you insist on trusting her.” He said harshly.

“I am not doing this with you now,” Oliver said. His tone was just as harsh as Hal’s, but much quieter. He wasn’t going to stand around and let Hal attack him and he certainly didn’t want to say anything to his best friend in the heat of the moment that he couldn’t take back. “I just came in here to let you know that I’m leaving for the day. With Chloe,” he added even though he knew he was just giving Hal something else to be pissed at him about.

“She needs a ride to Smallville. I have my cell if you need me,” he told Tess. He glanced at Hal as he turned to leave. “We will talk about this soon. Just not now,” he said before he slipped out the door and pulled it closed behind him.

Tess sighed. Oliver and Hal were both acting like children as far as she was concerned, but she knew Oliver leaving with Chloe had probably just infuriated Hal. She watched him carefully as he stared at the door that Oliver had just walked out of. “Would you please sit down? Your pacing is making me nervous,” she said.

Hal sighed and sat in one of the chairs in front of Tess’s desk. He hadn’t come there to upset her then again he also hadn’t planned on running into Chloe. His brows furrowed as he shook his head and motioned behind him towards the door. “Come on you’re telling me it’s normal for Oliver to drive home employees?” He said with a small snort.

“How can this not bug you?” He asked. “He’s giving her access to all the systems here do you know how easy that would make it for her to find out things about the company or your guys even with Victor’s firewalls and crap? Why am I the only one concerned about this? 

“I don’t blame Chloe for what happened and you shouldn’t either,” Tess said. She’d already had this talk with him more times than she wanted to count. She didn’t see either of them changing their position anytime soon, but she hadn’t expected Hal to actually confront Chloe about it either. “Oliver thinks Chloe might be useful for the exact reasons you’re listing. She’s smart and she’s obviously capable of finding her way around a computer so it’s much better to have her working on our side than discovering something else we don’t want her to know.” She gave him a pointed look. Oliver wasn’t the only one who had things to hide. 

“I think Oliver wants to get to know her on a personal level so he can find out what makes her tick. She intrigues him and he wants her to trust him. You yelling at her and telling her that she’s only here so that we can keep an eye on her is not really helping his case,” she pointed out. Tess loved Hal and she appreciated that he was only this worked up because he cared about her. But from what she’d seen so far, she liked Chloe and she wanted to get to know her better too. She just didn’t want the issue to constantly be creating tension between her and Hal or between Oliver and Hal.

He sighed and slumped in his seat. He knew Tess was right and all he probably managed to do today was make Chloe suspicious of him, which wasn’t something he could afford to do, but he hadn’t been able to help himself. Every time he heard about Chloe all he could do was picture Tess in his arms crying hysterically. His chest tightened as he met his girlfriends gaze. “You want me to apologize…Don’t you?” He asked.

“You think I’m not being smart about this,” He stated more than asked as he watched Tess’s facial expression closely.

“Yes, I want you to apologize because you weren’t fair to her,” Tess replied. Her expression softened and she leaned forward in her chair, resting her arms on the desk in front of her. “I don’t know about the other part. I want Oliver to be right about Chloe because I want to like her. She seems like a nice girl who’s had her fair share of trouble in life. But maybe you’re right and we’re going about this all wrong. Only time will tell, but I don’t want to fight with you and I don’t want to see you and Oliver fighting. He’s your best friend,” she reminded him. In all the years that she’d known them, she’d never seen them get this angry with one another. Sure, they argued and they disagreed, but five minutes later, they were over it and sharing a beer.

Hal frowned and reached forward taking one of her hands in his. “I just feel like she’s getting off easy that’s all,” He said softly as he squeezed her hand. “I love you and I guess knowing that she could come here and do that to you, just turn everything upside down without even thinking of the consequences makes me wonder what kind of a person she really is.” He said quietly.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt,” He caressed her hand with his thumb as. “I’ll talk to Oliver okay? And when I feel like I can look at her without biting her head off I’ll make an effort to apologize, but only because you asked.” He said pointedly making sure she knew it wasn’t because he’d suddenly changed his mind about her.

“Thank you,” Tess said. She knew he was trying and that was all she could ask. She still didn’t think Chloe was a bad person, she just thought she had acted without fully thinking through the consequences. They had all done that from time to time in their lives and Tess wasn’t going to judge her for it. But she also knew it wasn’t fair to get mad at Hal when he was just trying to protect her.

“Now that we’ve got all of that out of the way, what brings you by?” she asked. Hal didn’t normally drop by the office in the middle of the afternoon. She knew he was probably bored hanging out at the clock tower all day and she felt bad that he had to come to Metropolis because she needed him there.

Hal grinned. “I came by to drag you home,” He said slightly amused. “You’ve been here late every night this week and I thought maybe it was time we checked out the Metropolis nightlife.” He said while cocking his head to the side. “It’s possible I miss my girlfriend a little…Plus it’s Friday…” He said letting his voice trail off as he arched an eyebrow at her pushing away all the negative thoughts and just focusing on Tess.

“You had me until the part about Metropolis nightlife,” Tess teased. “This is Kansas, not California,” she pointed out. Despite the fact that Metropolis was technically a big city, there still wasn’t much to do in the area. There was one nightclub and a handful of bars and the idea of going to any of them after a long week at work was not very appealing.

However, the idea of spending some quality alone time with the man across from her was sounding better by the second. She squeezed the hand that held hers before letting her thumb run lightly over the sensitive skin of his wrist. “I think I can be persuaded to leave the office early for the night, as long as you have something satisfying in mind.” Her eyes were sparkling with mischief when they met his.

Hal smirked as he lifted her hand to his lips and placed a light kiss against it, his gaze never leaving hers. “Oh, trust me I’m sure I can come up with something to satisfy your needs Red.” He let the words hang in the air as he sent a wink in her direction. Hal stood and nodded towards her computer. “Come on, shut that thing down and let’s get the hell out of here,” He said softly.

Tess smiled at him before shifting in her chair to face the computer. She quickly logged out of the server and set her email to respond with an away message. She sent a quick email to her assistant in Star City to let her know that she was done for the week and not to bother her unless there was an extreme emergency. She shut everything down, grabbed her purse and held out her hand to Hal as she moved around the desk. “It looks like I’m all yours,” she said.

Hal gave her a genuine smile as he gripped her hand and tugged her up from the chair into his arms. He gripped her hip gently and leaned in pressing a soft kiss against her lips. When he pulled back a minute later Hal cupped her cheek and smiled. “I think that’s the best news I’ve heard all week,” He told her before threading his fingers through hers and pulling her gently towards the office door.

 

______

 

Oliver glanced at Chloe out of the corner of his eye as he drove down the long road that would eventually lead to Smallville. There was nothing but cornfields on either side and he knew they had several miles to go before they started passing scattered farmhouses. It had been almost an hour since they’d left Metropolis and he and Chloe had talked about work for the first half hour of the trip while he navigated the highway that led out of the city, but they had exhausted that topic fairly quickly and instead of opting for small talk, she had played with her phone for awhile and then turned to stare out the passenger side window. Oliver had wanted to give her space in case she was still upset about Hal, but he was starting to get restless.

He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel as he considered his options. The truth was Oliver wanted to know more about Chloe, but he didn’t feel right just sitting there firing off questions at her when she was more or less trapped in a car with him.

He didn’t want her to feel like he had offered to drive her home just so he could pry into her life. Okay, maybe that was exactly why he had made the offer, but he didn’t want her to actually know that. He decided to try for something that was fairly neutral and hope for the best. 

“Why do you stay in Smallville?” he asked. “I like going for long drives to clear my head, but I can’t imagine this two hour commute twice a day is fun for you.”

Chloe glanced toward her left at Oliver and relaxed back into the seat. She had been wondering when the silence would get to be too much for him. They had talked for about a half hour before she opted for silence since she wasn’t really sure what to say to him. She glanced over at him and sent a small smile his way.

“You get used to the trip, but yeah, on a long day it gets slightly irritating. And I’m not really sure,” She said with a soft chuckle. “I mean I went to high school out here and I moved to Metropolis for College, but after dark Thursday the school closed down and well…I just sort of gravitated back here,” She said with a shrug.

The truth was she was mostly still in Smallville because of her cousin and Clark and probably because she was comfortable there. “Plus I wasn’t making much at the Planet and any pace I could afford in Metropolis probably wouldn’t be in the greatest of neighborhoods,” She said lightly.

“Then again living in Suicide Slums might be better than living in a building owned by Lex Luthor, though technically it’s in his wife’s name, not that she’s around anymore.” She said, her tone holding a hint of nonchalance, though even now some days she missed Lana. Thank god for Lois.

“Lex owns the building you live in?” Oliver said. He had somehow missed that tidbit in his research or maybe he had skimmed over it because he’d seen Lana’s name. At one point, he had known a lot about the woman since his team had dug up everything they could find on her when she’d married Lex. But when she’d come to her senses and left him, Oliver had stopped paying much attention to any references to her. Chloe had mentioned before that they’d been close. He wondered if she was still in touch with her. He was tempted to ask, but he didn’t want Chloe to think he was going to try and use her friend to get to Lex. Oliver figured she probably missed having her around and he didn’t want to push his luck.

“I can understand the appeal of staying somewhere you’re comfortable even if it is inconvenient,” Oliver commented. “I travel a lot and it’s always good to get back to Star City after a long trip. There have been a few times over the years where I’ve headed home earlier than I should have,” he admitted. Those instances had all occurred after missions that had gone bad, but Oliver couldn’t exactly tell Chloe that.

Chloe nodded catching the hint of surprise in his voice at the mention of Lex. She had just assumed he knew that. "He does and home is where the heart is I guess," she said lightly before shifting in her seat to face him. "Though I can't say I travel much aside from going to Metropolis."

She hesitated for a second before leaning towards him slightly her arm brushing against his as she rested it on the arm rest between them. "Can I tell you something," she asked voice low eyes bright.

“Sure,” Oliver said. He glanced at her, surprised by her unexpected nearness. He wasn’t sure why his throat suddenly felt like he hadn’t had a glass of water in a year. He was so used to Chloe doing her best to keep distance between them that he didn’t know what to think about her actually wanting to tell him something. “You can tell me anything you want to tell me, Chloe. I know we haven’t known each other very long and we still don’t know each other well, but I want you to know that you can trust me,” he said earnestly.

Chloe was taken aback by his words and she wasn't sure what to say. He sounded so sincere and she felt something pull at her heart. She hesitated before placing a hand over his and giving it a light squeeze before meeting his eyes. "Thanks Oliver," she said softly. She felt something in her stomach flutter as she cleared her throat and let out a nervous laugh.

"After that I feel like I should tell you something important, but all I was going to say was...when I came to Star City, well that was the first time I ever left Kansas," she told him lightly with a shrug. Chloe paused, unconsciously flexing her fingers over his as she spoke. "You know, it might not always seem like it, but you can tell me things too and no I'm not just saying that because I'm nosy," she joked trying to break the seriousness of the conversation.

"I'm a good listener," she told him softly.

“And you’re nosy,” Oliver teased. He turned his hand over and clasped hers without thinking about what he was doing. “I’m not the person the tabloids make me out to be. I would hope you already know me well enough to know that. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that every story is a fabrication. There’s truth to some of them. But we’ve all made bad choices here and there, right?” He met her eyes for a moment before turning his gaze back to the road.

He was far from perfect and he’d made a lot of mistakes, especially before he’d gotten stranded on the island. Even after that he’d done some stupid things when he was feeling sorry for himself. But it was important to him that Chloe knew there was more to him than the reckless playboy billionaire the papers painted him out to be.

He realized the mood was getting a little too heavy and he wanted to pull it back before things got awkward. “So why had you never left Kansas before?” he asked. “No desire to travel or just no time?”

Oliver knew from his research that she’d kept herself busy between high school, college and her job at the Planet. He imagined her research into Lex took up a lot of her free time.

Chloe's heartbeat skyrocketed when she felt his hand close over hers and though she heard his words her thoughts were focused on how his skin felt against hers. She swallowed hard to moisten her throat as she glanced forward briefly, but didn't pull away from him. Oh this was bad, she thought.

She looked back over at him shifting slightly closer as she spoke quietly. "For the record what the tabloids said about you never did make much sense. There are always two sides to every story," she told him before resting against the soft leather.

"And as far as traveling, well I've never really had time or the money for it. I keep myself pretty busy," she said while giving him a sideways glance as the pounding in her chest finally subsided. She rubbed her thumb along his hand not even realizing she was doing it. "What about you? I imagine you've traveled a lot. How many countries have you been to? Do you have a favorite?" She asked her voice soft not wanting to break the relaxing atmosphere around them.

Oliver swallowed hard when he felt her thumb rubbing his hand and a spark seemed to shoot through his entire nervous system. That was not okay. He shouldn’t be so aware of her touch or how close she was or how she smelled like vanilla and he found himself wondering if she would taste like it too. He shook his head, desperately trying to banish those thoughts from his mind. He couldn’t look at Chloe in that way. She worked for him and he was considering making her part of the team. That wasn’t exactly the basis for any kind of romantic relationship. Why was he still thinking about this?

“I’ve been to a lot of countries,” Oliver said, forcing himself to focus on her question. “My dad took my mom and me with him on business trips when I was a kid and then I traveled with friends when I was a teenager and then eventually on business trips of my own. Italy is my favorite country, but I couldn’t pick a favorite city. They’re all beautiful. Portugal is nice too. It’s one of those places most people don’t think about when they’re planning their European trips but it’s magnificent there,” he said. Oliver tried to remember the last time he’d gone somewhere just for fun and not for QI or team business. He was drawing a blank.

Chloe's eyes dropped to his lips as he was talking. She watched them move as he spoke, transfixed on his words, the deep timber of his voice, the hint of cologne that traveled to her nose. The way he talked about traveling made her want to do it, to live in the moment and see the places that brought him such fond memories.

Chloe blinked snapping herself out of her thoughts and swallowing heavily before addressing him as she brought her other hand, the one that wasn't clasped in his, up and touched his arm briefly. "That sounds like something you enjoyed when you were younger, it must be nice to have those memories," she said lightly before biting her lower lip.

"I've always wanted to see Italy and Greece in particular. When I was younger my Father used to tell me we'd go when I was older so I could enjoy it more. We had plans to go after high school graduation, but then there was another meteor shower and not long after that he was transferred to a different Luthor Corp plant outside of the United States, which is where I assume he still is now." She told him quietly.

Oliver held her hand a little tighter. She’d never said anything about her family before aside from the references to her cousin. Chloe sounded like she wasn’t sure where her father was and Oliver knew that if she wanted to find out she could. He had a feeling there was a lot more to the story, but he wasn’t going to pry into her family life. “Greece is nice too. There’s a small branch of the company there so if you ever want to go, let me know and I can arrange it. I’m sure there’s someone there you can investigate.” He smiled at her and squeezed her hand again.

“In the meantime, is there anything fun to do around here? I’m usually working when I’m in the city so I don’t spend much time out. What do you like to do when you’re not working or researching bad guys?” he asked lightly.

Chloe felt his hand tighten on hers and the action was comforting. She arched an eyebrow at his words, 'I'll keep that in mind," she said lightly though she'd most likely never take him up on the offer. If she was going to go somewhere she didn't want someone else to pay her way for her.

Chloe glanced at him and smirked, her tone amused. "Well, when I'm not researching bad guys I'm looking up billionaires in my spare time," she joked, humor dancing in her eyes as she watched his face.

"My cousin and I go to The Ace of Clubs in Metropolis every so often, there are a few coffee houses I like, some small places out here in Smallville that have karaoke once a week, nothing overly exciting." She said with a shrug, "I enjoy looking for new things to do and my cousin and I tend to find trouble rather easily so that's always exciting," she teased.

Her body tilted slightly as she relaxed further into the seat her shoulder touching his arm as her finger continued to move against his hand. "What about you? What do you do when you’re not out running multi-million dollar corporations and saving the world one green building at a time," she tease, finding that she honestly wanted to know the answer to the question.

“Why am I not surprised you manage to find trouble wherever you go?” Oliver joked. Once again, he found himself struggling not to focus on how good it felt to be close to her. “I’ve been to the Ace of Clubs a few times. It’s a nice place.” He didn’t add that every time he went there, the tabloids managed to take pictures of him and plant articles the next morning. He figured one of the bartenders had to be tipping the press off because it was too much of a coincidence. Oliver pushed those thoughts aside, not wanting to sour his good mood.

“Well, when I’m not working or looking into blonde women I randomly meet in the elevator…” Oliver paused and gave her a pointed look. “…I like to do a lot of outdoors stuff like hiking, rock climbing, archery and cliff diving on occasion. I do yoga every morning, but that’s more of a lifestyle than a hobby. I spend a lot of time with Tess and Hal. The life of a billionaire really isn’t that exciting, sadly,” he admitted.

Chloe chuckled and hid her face against his arm for a second before leaning back and catching his eye. "You would do yoga," she snickered good naturedly and then the image of him shirtless and sweaty popped into her head and suddenly it was less funny and more hormone inducing. Chloe shook the thought away quickly, that was definitely a no, no. She swallowed hard to moisten her throat before speaking.

"It sounds nice it's good to have close friends." She said lightly before hesitating. Chloe took a deep breath and spoke. "I'm sorry for causing problems between you and Hal," she said quietly her eyes glancing forward as she squeezed his hand gently. "I understand why's he's angry, and...well I wouldn't be offended or think less of you if you wanted me to go." She told him even as her chest tightened making her wonder why the thought of leaving a company she'd only worked for, for a week upset her so much.

Oliver brought the car to a stop at a red light and noted they were getting closer to Smallville. He glanced at Chloe, arching an eyebrow in her direction. “Mock me if you will, but yoga is good for the body and the mind. Maybe I’ll show you sometime.” He let his eyes trail over her for a moment before he met her gaze. He saw the light change out of the corner of his eye and reluctantly turned back to the road as he pressed down on the accelerator.

“Don’t worry about Hal,” he said. “We’ve been friends a long time and that’s not going to change just because he currently has his head stuck up his ass over this.” He rubbed his thumb over her hand, mimicking what she’d been doing earlier as he spoke. “I don’t want you to go anywhere, Chloe. You’ve proven to be good at your job, I believe that you’re trustworthy and I like having you around.”

He glanced at her again, wanting her to see how serious he was. “Hal will get over it,” he told her. Oliver didn’t like fighting with Hal, but he knew they would work through this. The last thing he wanted was for Chloe to think he blamed her for anything.

Chloe flushed slightly when his eyes roamed over her body, her heartbeat picking up speed yet again. Did he just check her out? She smirked. "Sorry, I don't bend that way," she joked before nodding his thumb caressing her skin relaxing her.

"As long as I'm not causing any trouble," she told him. She was silent for a minute or two before she could no longer fight the urge to speak. "I'm enjoying the job," she said lightly, pausing for a second as she glanced at him. "And the company that comes along with it." She said softly, her expression warm as she gave him a small grin.

He returned her smile. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself and you’re definitely not causing any trouble. You’ve actually been a lot of help.” They had weeded out several moles thanks to her research and there were a few more people that they were keeping a close eye on since Chloe had deemed them suspicious.

“And for the record, you’d probably be surprised by just how bendable the body can be,” he commented lightly. Oliver was careful to keep his eyes on the road, not trusting himself to see her reaction to his statement and not end up driving them into a ditch or something. He knew he was pushing his luck and playing with fire, but he couldn’t help himself, just like he couldn’t seem to let go of her hand. Oliver brought the car to a stop across the street from the Talon. He realized he was disappointed that they were already there, but it wasn’t like he could drive around the block a few times.

His words made her body uncharacteristically warm and when he parked the car she couldn't help the smirk that pulled at her lips as she glanced at him. "I don't doubt that under the right conditions the body can be very...bendy," she agreed before her gaze shifted to the coffee house across the street. She glanced at the clock on the dash and it was already close to five thirty.

Chloe gnawed on her lower lip for a second as she used her free hand to unhook her seat belt. She turned her body in his direction her hand still in his as she met his eyes and spoke. "Thank you...I really appreciate the ride," she said voice light and before she could stop herself she kept on talking.

"Are you hungry? Do you maybe want to come up and I can order some food?" She asked before a hint of surprise crossed her face. She couldn't believe she just asked him that. "It's the least I can do...you did drive me all the way out here..." She said letting her voice trail off.

“I’d like that,” Oliver said. He kept her hand in his as he fought the urge to brush her hair back from her forehead. “But I didn’t mind the drive. It was better than sitting in the office listening to people yell at me.” He smiled at Chloe. “Besides, I think this gave us a chance to get to know each other better and maybe now things won’t be so tense.” His eyes drifted to her mouth and Oliver swallowed hard. It would be so easy to close the distance between them and just…

Oliver forced his gaze back to hers. “Dinner would be nice as long as you’re sure you don’t mind,” he said. Reluctantly, he let go of her hand as he undid his seatbelt and took the keys from the ignition. He pushed open his door and noticed that Chloe hadn’t moved. “Did you change your mind already?” he asked. His tried to keep his voice light despite the fact that his heart was pounding against the wall of his chest.

Chloe shook her head not trusting her voice as that moment, as she watched him get out of the car, her heart slamming against her chest. She swallowed hard and gave him a small smile. "Sorry," she said softly as she pushed open the passenger side and got out of the car.

The cool night air hit her and she shivered slightly. For a second there it had looked like maybe he was going to kiss her, but that was ridiculous. Oliver was her boss besides he was just trying to get to know her better. She shook herself out of her thoughts as Oliver moved around the car.

"It was nice, the ride," she specified, "A lot better than a cab would have been," she said with a grin as she stood there. "And dinner's no trouble I think I can manage to push the seven numbers on the phone to order," she teased lightly while sending an amused smile in his direction.

“Ah, now the truth comes out,” Oliver teased. He shrugged off his sports coat and draped it over her shoulders as they crossed the street toward the Talon. “It’s nights like this that make me miss California. I always forget how cold it can be in Kansas.” He held the door open for her as they walked into the coffee house. Oliver was glad to see the place was nearly deserted. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to start gossip about him bringing Chloe home. “Are there a lot of good takeout places here in Smallville?” he asked as he followed her up the spiral staircase.

Chloe nodded as she slipped her hands into the jacket he draped over her shoulders. The coat practically swallowed her whole as she pulled out her keys while glancing over her shoulder sending a smirk his way. "Surprisingly there are. We've got a pretty great Chinese place they have the best fortunes there, There's a pretty decent dinner that delivers and of course Italian." She said as she pushed the key into the lock and opened the door.

"Which do you prefer?" She asked while walking into the apartment. When he paused outside in the hallway Chloe rolled her eyes and reached out tugging him inside by his hand. "Come on now, I don't bite...not unless as you real nice," she joked.

“Really?” Oliver smirked at her as he let her pull him into the apartment. His hand seemed to have a mind of its own as it settled on her hip as his dark eyes bore into hers. “Just how nicely would I have to ask?” he teased huskily.

“Ahem.” Lois cleared her throat loudly, not bothering to hide the smug grin on her face as she stood in the kitchen watching her cousin blatantly flirting with Oliver Queen. She didn’t miss the fact that Chloe was wearing his jacket and holding his hand and she certainly didn’t seem to be complaining about the intimate way he was holding onto her hip. Her little cousin had a lot of explaining to do. “Hi guys,” she said brightly when they both turned to her with matching deer-in-the-headlights looks on their faces.

"Lois, I...what are you doing here? I thought you were spending the weekend at Clark's." She said before biting her lower lip. Oh no, that didn't seem suspicious at all. She winced before sending a bright smile in her cousin’s direction as she motioned towards Oliver with her free hand, the other one still holding on to his.

"Oliver drove me home from work so I thought he might like some dinner before I ship him back to Metropolis," she joked figuring if she didn't make a big deal about things then Lois would see there was nothing going on. "Oliver this is my cousin Lois, Lo, this is Oliver." She said lightly.

“I’m not sure I want to know what’s on the menu,” Lois said. She gave her cousin a knowing look. “I am headed to Clark’s, but something came up and he had to work a little longer so I was just killing some time here and I’m so glad I finally get to meet your new…boss.” She smirked, barely resisting the urge to laugh. She ignored the looks Chloe was giving her and focused on Oliver. “It’s really nice of you to drive two hours out of your way just to drive my cousin home.”

“What can I say? I’m a nice guy.” Oliver reluctantly let go of Chloe and politely held out his hand to Lois. “It’s nice to meet you. Chloe’s told me a lot about you,” he said smoothly. He also knew about her from his own research. She had a reputation for being tenacious and extremely opinionated. He knew Lois was important to Chloe and he wanted to do what he could to fix what he imagined was a bad first impression considering what she’d heard when they walked in.

Lois shook his hand, her lips still curved in a smirk. Someone was attempting to do damage control. It was sweet, but it wasn’t going to work. She was going to be having a long talk with her cousin about this the second she got back from the farm Sunday night. “Chloe’s mentioned you as well. I hope you’re settling into Metropolis well. I’m sure having my cousin around helps. What is it that brought you here again?” she asked.

"Lois," Chloe said the hint of a warning in her tone as she eyed her cousin giving her a stern look that said 'behave'. She walked forward shrugging off Oliver's coat and handing it to him with a warm smile. "Thank you," she said softly before continuing into the kitchen and pulling open the drawer with the menus.

She figured a change of subject might help and so she glanced up at Lois while pulling out several menus and motioning Oliver forward. "Did Jim from the repair shop call?" She asked her cousin. She was going to need her car for work on Monday.

“No, he hasn’t called,” Lois replied. She ignored the warning look her cousin was giving her and focused on Oliver. “So what did bring you to town?” she asked again. Her gaze shifted pointedly to Chloe and then back to Oliver.

He bit back a smirk. Lois was definitely persistent. “Work brought me to town. I’m afraid if you want any more information than that, you’re going to have to call my office and arrange an interview like the other reporters,” Oliver said. He turned to Chloe and took the menus she was holding out. “Italian works for me unless you’d rather have something else. I’m pretty easy,” he said with a wink.

Lois rolled her eyes. “That’s cute. Maybe I will do that. It’s been awhile since I’ve written an exposé.” She tapped her finger to her chin thoughtfully.

Chloe smirked as she glanced at Oliver, amused. "I don't doubt it," she quipped before turning her gaze back to her cousin. "Knock it off Lo, there will be no expose’s, leave Oliver be and behave." she said while pointing to her. She walked around the counter and sat in one of the stools near where Oliver was standing as she grabbed the phone.

"How was your day?" She asked her cousin, trying to steer the conversation in a neutral direction as she leaned towards the menu in Oliver's hands.

“It was long and I’m glad it’s over,” Lois replied. She moved back toward her purse, double checking to make sure she’d packed her phone charger and her makeup bag. “Lex cut another one of my articles because he felt it didn’t fit the image the paper was going for. Those were the words that were in the email. The image of the paper,” she repeated, disgusted.

Oliver raised an eyebrow at the mention of Lex’s name and glanced up from the menu he’d been looking at. “What was the article about?” he asked. He wasn’t surprised that Lex was censoring his own people; Chloe had told him as much. But he wondered what was getting under his skin at the moment. It wasn’t an election season and Lex’s side projects had been fairly quiet lately after they’d taken out the lab in Missouri.

“A charity event of all things,” Lois replied. She still couldn’t believe Lex had cut her article. “Some of the local businesses were raising money for a relief effort in South America. I thought it was a step above a puff piece, but Lex said it didn’t fit.” She shrugged as she pulled her purse onto her shoulder and reached for the bag that was on the floor next to the counter. “He’s probably still punishing me for something.”

“Maybe,” Oliver said. He was going to have to call Victor later and ask him to look into the event and the cause they were raising money for to see why Lex wouldn’t want to draw attention to it. There had to be more to the story. “So what do you recommend?” he asked Chloe, gesturing to the menu in an effort to change the subject.

Chloe frowned. "I'm sorry Lo, want me to hack into the Planet's sever and change the mock up for the morning issue," she asked with a grin. "We can stick it on the front page, I'm sure he'll love that," she said sarcastically while grinning at her cousin.

She turned her attention back to Oliver and leaned over, reaching over his arm with hers, pointing to a ravioli dish. "That one's really good, or their tortellini Alfredo. Their chicken parmesan is also good, though if you get that you'll be obligated to give me some of your chicken, house rules." She said lightly before glanced back towards Lois as she checked her bags.

"Getting ready to head out?" She asked trying not to sound happy about it. Why would she be, they were just grabbing dinner, friends did that. Chloe was pretty sure she and Oliver were on their way to being close friends.

“That won’t be necessary, Chlo,” Lois said. She set her bag down again and dug through her purse, searching for her car keys. She could have sworn she’d just had them. “The article isn’t that important that it’s worth screwing over the other people. It’s not like we don’t expect Lex to be an ass.” She scowled when her keys weren’t in her purse either.

Oliver spotted a key ring on the edge of the counter. “Looking for these?” he asked, holding them up for Lois. “Chicken parmesan sounds good to me and I can probably be persuaded to share. Sorry about your article,” he added as Lois came over to collect her car keys.

“They’ll be others,” Lois said. She wondered if they realized how close they were standing to each other or if Chloe knew she was still holding onto Oliver’s arm despite the fact that neither one of them were looking at the menu any longer. She doubted it and she looked forward to the talk that they were going to have about it in a few days. She could already hear Chloe spinning her denials.

“I am going to head out. I have my phone if you need me. I think I do anyway.” Lois shrugged as she lifted her bag onto her shoulder with her purse. “If not, Clark has a phone. It was nice meeting you, Oliver. Chloe, I’ll see you on Sunday. I’m sure we’ll have lots to talk about,” she added pointedly. She waved at them and made her way out the door, pulling it closed behind her. 

Chloe watched her go and sighed before sending Oliver an amused look. "Well that talk sounds promising, looks like I'll have to make sure I'm busy." She told him as she lifted the phone and dialed the number of the restaurant. It took less than five minutes for her to order their food and she glanced at Oliver as she placed the phone back in its cradle.

Chloe stood letting her hand slip down his arm. "I'm just going to get out of these clothes real quick," she told him while walking towards the bedroom. She spoke over her shoulder. "Feel free to make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back." she said while toeing off her heels on the way to the bedroom.

“Sure thing,” Oliver said. He pulled out his cell phone to text Victor and distract himself from thoughts of Chloe getting out of her clothes in the next room. He was playing a dangerous game and he needed to stop. It was one thing to engage in a little harmless flirting, but if Lois hadn’t been standing there when they walked in, he would have followed through on his impulse to kiss her and that would have ruined everything.

He liked Chloe and he trusted Chloe and he was just going to have to get over the fact that he was attracted to her. He knew she could be a solid asset to the team and he had to put their needs before his own. Relationships were complicated and messy and Oliver knew he had to focus his energy on stopping Lex before anyone else got hurt. That bastard had been getting away with his crimes for far too long.


	7. Chapter 7

Hal stood outside the elevator and sighed. He really didn't want to go up there and apologize to Oliver, but he knew he had to. After spending the weekend with Tess and calming down quite a bit he was able to see things a little bit more rationally. He had been out of line on Friday. He shouldn't have cornered Chloe and yelled at her especially not in the office.

He pursed his lips and let out a small breath before stepping onto the elevator, closing the gate, and pushing the button. He was prompted for a code, which he typed in before the elevator started moving. Hal leaned against the back of the elevator and waited. A few minutes later it chimed and he let out a long breath before pushing himself forward and opening the gate.

"Oliver? You here?" He called out as he glanced around the room for his friend.

Oliver had been in the process of knotting his tie when he heard Hal’s voice from downstairs. He frowned at his reflection and quickly straightened the tie and grabbed the suit jacket he had tossed on the bed. He wasn’t in the best of moods after a long weekend of researching Lex with Victor’s help and not liking the information he was finding.

Not that he ever liked what he found when he took the time to delve into Lex’s psychotic head, but his latest project seemed like it was still in the early development stages and Oliver could already see it being a nightmare for the team. They really needed to find a way to put the bastard behind bars once and for all. He wanted to talk to Chloe when he got to the office about a specific part of the research he had come across.

Chloe was the other reason for his bad mood. Well, not Chloe herself, but the fact that he couldn’t seem to stop thinking about her. Oliver prided himself on his ability to concentrate on what was in front of him, but he’d found his mind drifting to the tiny blonde all weekend.

The more he told himself not to think about her, the more the task seemed impossible. He’d attempted to center himself that morning with his standard yoga routine and he’d ended up falling over because he’d started thinking about the conversation about being bendy and his mind had gone somewhere it definitely should not have.

He shook the thoughts from his head as he made his way downstairs to see what Hal wanted. Oliver hadn’t seen Hal or Tess all weekend and he figured that was a good thing after the incident in the office on Friday. He really hoped his friend wasn’t there to resume where they’d left off. Oliver stepped off the bottom stair and nodded at Hal who was standing in the entryway.

“Hey man, what’s going on?” he asked, keeping his tone casual.

Hal gave Oliver a light smile as he scratched the back of his neck. "Hey, how's it going?" He asked lightly as he studied his friends face. He looked like he wasn't in the greatest of moods and Hal felt bad figuring he had probably added to that.

He knew how hard Oliver worked and how much stress he had to deal with between the team and the office and it was wrong of him to make things worse just because he was pissed off at the situation. He slipped his hands in his pockets and pursed his lips "Heading to the office?" He asked lightly.

“Yeah, I’m running a little late, but what else is new?” Oliver said with a shrug. It was one of the perks of being the CEO that he often found himself taking advantage. He took his job seriously and the company meant a lot to him because his father had started it and he took pride in his work, but Oliver knew his other job was more important and he had to put it first no matter how bad it made him look in the eyes of the public. He knew how lucky he was that Tess was there to cover for him most of the time.

He also figured Hal wasn’t standing in his living room this early on a Monday morning to talk about his job. “I’ve got a little bit of time if there’s something you want to talk about,” he said. Oliver could see that Hal looked uncomfortable and he wasn’t really sure how to read that.

Hal nodded and followed him towards the kitchen before sitting down on one of the stools as Oliver started moving around the kitchen. "I was hoping you'd have a few minutes," he said quietly. "Look, I'm really sorry about Friday man," he leaned back in the seat as he watched Oliver. "I was out of line. I shouldn't have made a scene in the place you work, it was wrong and I was pissed." He told him while leaning forward.

"I really need to start talking about things when they're bugging me instead of letting it build up. I guess, well I just sort I feel like you're rushing this whole thing," he said quietly. "You barely know this girl and regardless of what you say, I know you better than anyone and you're pretty protective of this girl." He stated while trying to read his friends expression.

"That doesn't change the fact that my behavior was wrong and I'm sorry about that. But I need to know what's going on with you...why do you want to trust the girl so bad Oliver?" He asked brows furrowed.

“I don’t know,” Oliver told him honestly. He poured two glasses of juice and pushed one toward Hal before sitting down on the stool beside him. He was glad that Hal had admitted he was wrong for making a scene and Oliver was willing to let it go. He still felt like Hal owed Chloe an apology, but he wasn’t his father or his keeper and he wasn’t going to treat him like a child. He hoped once Hal got to know Chloe a little better, he would see that she wasn’t the devil and he would apologize on his own.

“There’s something about her that makes me trust her. Instinct I guess,” he said as he took a sip of his juice. “I know there’s stuff she’s not telling me about her past and the real reason she hates Lex so much, but considering all the things I’m keeping from her, I can live with it. But I really think she could be an asset to the team. Did Tess tell you how fast she found out which of our employees were moles? It took her less than a day to go through the entire Metropolis operation. I want to see what she can do with some real investigative work.” He turned to Hal to tell him what Victor had come across and frowned when he saw the look on his friend’s face. “What?” he asked.

Hal couldn't believe he had missed this. No wonder his friend was trying so hard with Chloe. He liked her. He shook his head it figured. Although Hal was slightly disturbed with the fact that his friend liked a woman who he wasn't sure they could trust, he couldn't help the small grin that slid onto his lips.

"Yea, Tess mentioned more than once that she was impressed by her," He said lightly before his grin widened. "She did however fail to mention that the blonde’s boss was crushing on her." He said pointedly while eyeing his friend.

Oliver rolled his eyes. “You’re being ridiculous. I do not have a crush on her. This isn’t grade school and we’re not passing notes during study hall.” He scowled as he took another sip of his drink. He didn’t appreciate Hal mocking him. Yes, he was attracted to Chloe, but it was just a physical thing and it would pass. She worked for him and he wanted her to be part of the team. That was all there was to it.

He glared at Hal when his friend continued to grin smugly at him. “Would you stop? It’s not like that. It’s not,” he said firmly.

Hal arched an eyebrow and reached forward for his drink. He lifted the glass and took a sip before holding a hand up to calm his friend down. "Oliver be serious for a minute. I'm not saying you don't want those things, all I'm saying is there's more to it than that." He told him while shifting in his seat.

"Let's ignore the fact that you gave her a job and most likely amazing benefits and you probably pay her too much, but that's just you." He said. "Instead let's look at how defensive you get when it comes to her or that you drove her home from work and didn't wind up getting back here until after one in the morning when I know you left the office no later than three thirty." He said while pointing at his friend.

"How many employers do things like that for their employees? And Tess says you've been spending a lot of time with her..." He let his voice trail off giving his friend a minute to let that sink in.

“I think you and Tess need to stop watching me so closely,” Oliver grumbled. He finished his glass of juice as he thought about what Hal was saying. He had ended up staying at Chloe’s apartment pretty late on Friday. After dinner, they’d watched a couple movies although they’d spent more time talking than actually watching the movies. But what was wrong with that?

He was just trying to get to know her and let her get to know him so she could get past her fears that he had some dark, ulterior motive for hiring her. They were becoming friends. He was friends with everyone else on the team so it only made sense for him to be friends with Chloe too. Hal never had issues when he hung out with Victor or AC. He was just seeing something that wasn’t there.

“Maybe I have been protective of her but that’s only because my best friend screamed at her in the middle of the office,” Oliver said. He gave Hal a pointed look before he got up and took his empty glass to the dish washer. “I’m trying to get this woman on our side and that didn’t help. But I would have done that for anyone.”

He turned back and saw his friend was still looking at him skeptically. “What?” he asked again. “I’m not going to deny that she’s attractive. I have eyes. But do you really think if I just wanted to sleep with her I would have given her a job? Contrary to what the tabloids say, I don’t mess around with people who work for me,” he reminded him.

Hal sighed. "Do you ever listen when I talk?" He joked. "I never said you wanted to sleep with her, but it's good to know where your head is at." He told him amused as he finished off his glass of juice. "I said you like her. When's the last time you liked a woman Oliver? Do even remember what that is?" He asked not trying to offend his friend.

"And I think it's different when you hang out with the guys because it's a different atmosphere more relaxed. You're working together. But with Chloe she is your subordinate...it's unprofessional and yet neither of you seem to realize that." He told him simply as he watched his expression closely.

Oliver opened his mouth to defend himself and immediately closed it as he considered the Hal’s question. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d genuinely liked a woman. The tabloid theory that he was a playboy who slept with every pretty woman who crossed his path was a severe exaggeration, but there was some truth in the fact that he didn’t have real relationships.

He took arm candy to big events because it was expected of him and yeah, sometimes he brought those women home with him for a night or two. But that was as far as most of his relationships went because he had too many secrets to let anyone get close to him. He couldn’t take the risk and he was fine with that. Or at least he thought he was fine with that until he really thought about how lonely his life was.

He shook himself out of his thoughts. Hal was watching him a little too closely for his liking. “What are you saying? I shouldn’t be nice to Chloe because she works for me? Nothing has happened between us and nothing is going to. Tess works for me too,” he reminded his friend. “You don’t have issues with me being friends with her,” he countered, hoping that would be enough to shut Hal up on this topic.

Hal frowned. "Oliver, I don't have a problem with you being friends with the blonde. I don't even really have a problem with you liking her," he paused, "Well, do I wish you liked someone I actually trusted yeah, but I'm not telling you this because I'm angry with you," he told him slightly confused. "I'm just making and observation." He said with a shrug.

"Plus Tess doesn't count. She's with me, so you being friends with her is all it could even be...and you have history. The same doesn't go for Blondie. Unless she has a significant other you failed to mention." He said arching an eyebrow at his friend.

Oliver frowned. Did Chloe have a significant other? She hadn’t said anything to him about one, but why would she? They were just friends and he was her boss. That wasn’t the kind of thing one genuinely discussed with a boss. Of course she probably wouldn’t have held his hand for an hour and flirted with him if she had a boyfriend.

Oliver caught himself rationalizing things and rolled his eyes. He had to stop going there. Chloe didn’t think of him in that way and he wasn’t going to let himself think of her like that. They were colleagues and friends and soon-to-be teammates if he had anything to say about it. He had to stop letting Hal get in his head. 

“I don’t know what her personal situation is and it doesn’t matter because I don’t like her in that way. Now, if we’re done with this pointless conversation, I need to get to work and you need to do whatever it is you do all day while your girlfriend is at work.” Oliver grinned at Hal and patted him on the back as he moved past him out of the kitchen. He was glad he’d stopped by and that things were back to normal between them. Hopefully this would be the last conversation they had about Chloe. Hal shook his head and frowned as he watched his friend go.

 

______

 

Chloe glanced at the clock as she moved around the kitchen pouring herself coffee in her travel mug and grabbing half a muffin. It was just after six in the morning and if she wanted to make it into the office by eight fifteen she was going to have to hurry.

She smiled slightly at the thought of heading into work and seeing Oliver. It sounded strange, but dinner on Friday had been nice. After changing into something comfortable, the food came and they spent the next four hours in front of the fire watching movies, eating and talking.

It was probably the most fun she'd had in a long time and she got a chance to really get to know Oliver. She was sure, now more than ever that he was one of the good guys. She'd done her due diligence and researched him until she was blue in the face and she'd come up with only good things about him.

Chloe was almost a hundred percent sure she could trust Oliver and that was definitely a relief because she enjoyed spending time with him. He was funny and smart and extremely attractive. She paused swallowing hard at her last thought. But he was her boss and possibly her friend, which she didn't want to ruin so being attracted to him was a very big no, no.

She shook herself from her thoughts as she pulled open the refrigerator and grabbed the milk. Jim from the car place had called on Sunday to let her know her car was ready and she'd been able to pick it yesterday, which would mean she'd thankfully get to work on time today.

Chloe closed the fridge and jumped slightly when she saw Lois leaning against the wall. She pressed a hand to her heart and laughed lightly. "Morning," she said lightly, "What are you doing?" She asked confused as to why she was just staring at her.

“Waiting for you to notice me,” Lois replied. She’d been watching her cousin for a few minutes and Chloe had been oblivious to her presence. Normally Lois would probably be offended and wonder where her cousin’s head was at, but the silly smile Chloe had on her face told her everything she needed to know.

Chloe was clearly thinking about Oliver and that suited Lois’s agenda perfectly because she’d been dying to grill her cousin about what was going on between the two of them. She’d wanted to talk to her last night but Chloe had been sleeping when she’d come home. Or at least pretending to sleep so she didn’t have to answer any questions but Lois wasn’t going to let her get out of having this conversation.

“So, cuz, how was your date with Oliver on Friday?” Lois moved forward and leaned against the counter, folding her arms in front of her as she grinned at her cousin. “Did he spend the night?” she asked.

Chloe paused in her movements and arched an eyebrow in Lois's direction, confusion on her face. "What in the world are you talking about? Oliver and I weren't on a date." She said with a light laugh and a roll of her eyes. "He offered to drive me home and I so I asked if he wanted food before he left," she said with a shrug. "It's as simple as that. And please spend the night?" Chloe asked as she pouring the milk in her travel mug before putting it back in the refrigerator.

"That's absurd," she said lightly. What in the world would Oliver want with her for a night? He could have any woman in Metropolis, there was no way he was interested in someone like her. Not that, that mattered because she didn't want him to be interested. They worked together that was all.

Lois rolled her eyes. “Come on, Chloe. Do I look like I was born yesterday? You were holding hands when you walked in here and I heard you flirting with him. I saw the way you were leaning into him. You like him. He likes you too which proves he is definitely smarter than the tabloids give him credit for.”

She’d worked at the Inquisitor long enough to know that it wasn’t smart to believe anything the tabloids printed so she had no problem setting aside all the garbage she’d heard about Oliver being a playboy who liked his woman pretty and dumb. He did seem like he was a bit of a smartass, but Lois figured Chloe probably liked that about him since she was one too.

“Why are you trying so hard to keep this a secret from me?” Lois asked as she watched her cousin hurrying around the kitchen. “You know I’m not going to say anything to anyone. It’s not like I’m going to give an interview to the first person who wants to know about my cousin and the billionaire she’s dating. Give me something, Chlo,” she said. Lois knew that Chloe liked her privacy, but they were cousins and best friends and they were supposed to share this kind of thing. Lois had certainly told her more than she probably ever wanted to know about her relationship with Clark.

Chloe stopped what she was doing at the sound of the seriousness in Lois's voice. Her cousin sounded almost hurt. She moved over to the counter brows furrowed and leaned forward. "Lo I'm not hiding anything from you, I swear," she told her honesty coloring her features. "I mean sure Oliver is attractive, anyone with eyes can see that, but there's nothing going on between us." She said slightly confused as to why her cousin would think that.

"We work together, he's my boss and we've sort of been feeling each other out. I told you he knows a lot about Lex and his lesser known activities, well I'm still trying to figure out why that is and whether or not I can trust him." She said lightly. "But I'm pretty sure Oliver is one of the good guys. And after this weekend I'm feeling better about the trusting him thing, though I'm still really curious about how and why he knows the things he does. That's as far as it goes though," she told her seriously.

Where else would it go? She was Chloe Sullivan, things didn't happen between her and billionaires, not even handsome ones who went out of their way to drive her home.

Lois watched Chloe carefully for any signs that she was lying. Chloe had a good poker face with most people, but Lois wasn’t most people and she could see right through her. Chloe seemed to genuinely mean what she was saying so either there really was nothing going on between her and Oliver or her cousin just didn’t realize it or want to admit it, even to herself. It took Lois less than two seconds to decide that it was probably the latter.

Despite the fact that she was beautiful, smart and all-around amazing, self-esteem had always been an issue for Chloe. Lois would bet everything she owned she was probably thinking that there was no way someone like Oliver would want someone like her. Well, Lois was just going to have to open her cousin’s eyes before she missed what was right in front of her.

“I’m glad that he’s one of the good guys. It doesn’t hurt that he’s nice to look at,” Lois said. She shot her cousin a grin. “I’m sure that makes all the time you’re spending with him easier on you,” she teased as she moved around the counter to get herself some coffee. “He seems pretty fond of you.” Lois did her best to keep her voice casual, wanting to lull her cousin into a false sense of security so she’d let her walls down a little. “Is he seeing anyone?” she asked.

Chloe chuckled and shrugged as she leaned against the counter and took a sip from her travel mug. "I wouldn't say fond of, more like I amuse him. I'm not sure he knows what to do with that," she told her with a smile. "And yeah I guess him not being bad on the eyes doesn't hurt for work. At least I'm not surrounded by ugly people," she joked. "I've got him on one side of my office and Tess on the other."

Chloe's brow creased slightly when Lois's words about a girlfriend registered. Did he have one? Well according to magazines he had several, but Chloe didn't believe those lies for a minute. 4he pursed her lips and glanced at her mug as she shrugged casually. "I'm not sure. We don't really discuss personal things on that level, he's my _boss_. Besides what he does in his spare time isn't really any of my business." She told her cousin lightly though her chest tightened slightly at the thought of him seeing someone.

Lois fought the urge to laugh in her cousin’s face. She saw the change in her expression despite her casual tone. Chloe clearly didn’t like the idea of Oliver having a girlfriend. She definitely liked the guy even if she wasn’t admitting it. “I’m sure he’s more than ‘fond’ of you, Chlo. If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn you two have known each other for years with the way you were acting on Friday. It’s good that you get along so well with your boss. I’ve never known what that’s like,” she said dryly. Her boss at the Inquisitor had been a jackass, but he was still better than Lex Luthor. She pushed the thought aside, not wanting to veer off the topic at hand.

“You know it’s probably good for Oliver to have a friend like you. I’m sure there are a lot of gold digging hussies out there just waiting to get their chance to be Mrs. Queen. You can make sure that doesn’t happen.” She kept her tone light, figuring Chloe could take the comment anyway she wanted to, including the way Lois meant it. She could make sure it doesn’t happen by going after Oliver herself.

Chloe glanced up from her coffee and bit her lower lip. Despite the tone of her cousin's voice she knew that look in her eyes. She sighed lightly and tilted her head as she met Lois's gaze. "Oliver is a big boy. He's been in the dating game for a long time Lo, I'm sure he knows how to weed out the bad gold diggers by now," she said, her tone neutral as she sent a smile in the brunette's direction. "I trust Oliver's judgment, I doubt he needs my help with women, but I'll be sure to let him know that's what you think I'm good for," she teased as she took a sip of her coffee.

Though she supposed Lois had a point. It wouldn't be wrong for friends to look out for each other and give a quick heads up if they feel like something fishy is going on...That's what friends were for, right?

“I’m sure Oliver can think of a few other things you’d be good for. He is a smart guy after all.” Lois smirked into her coffee. Somehow she didn’t see Chloe bringing up the topic of dating with Oliver anytime soon. Lois paused mid-sip and considered it. She knew Chloe would continue to live in denial and pretend that she didn’t want anything more from Oliver than friendship. But Lois didn’t know Oliver at all. She assumed he was persistent, but what if he took Chloe at her word? That wouldn’t benefit either one of them.

“You know cuz, I’m sure Oliver was just kidding about me calling his office for an interview, but maybe I should. He’s a big name and he’s settling into Metropolis. I doubt Lex would want to publish anything about one of his competitors, but I know a few people at other papers. Do you think he’d sit down for an interview with me?” she asked. Lois knew if she wanted to get the real scoop on what Oliver was thinking about her cousin and where things were going, she was going to have to go straight to the source.

Chloe hesitated as she eyed Lois wearily. She knew when her cousin was up to something and right now, she was up to something. She gave Lois a thoughtful look while pulling another sip of coffee into her mouth. "Hm, I'm sure if it's a legitimate interview," she said pointedly, "Then I don't see why he wouldn't take it. I know he hasn't done too much press over years according to my research," she told her casually, "But I'm sure if it was you he'd take it. Since he's been looking me up I'm sure he's dipped into a little research on you too." She told her with a small grin.

"He likes to be prepared and know what's going on. Too bad he doesn't know you can never be prepared when it comes to the Sullivan-Lane women," she joked.

“That’s true,” Lois agreed proudly. She knew her cousin was on to her and the only smart thing for her to do was drop the subject, for now. She didn’t actually need Chloe’s permission to talk to Oliver. It probably wouldn’t be that hard to arrange an interview through an assistant or publicist or whoever. She’d keep the idea in her back pocket and see how things went with her cousin and her new boss for a little while longer before she made any moves.

“All right, cuz, I’d hate for you to be late for work and undo all that bonding you did with Oliver on Friday. I need to hop in the shower so I can get to work and see what kind of fluff piece Lex wants me to write today. I saw some girl scouts selling cookies outside the coffee house the other day. Maybe he’ll want a story on them.” She rolled her eyes and made her way down the hall toward the bathroom.

Chloe watched her go and shook her head before her gaze moved over to the clock. Her eyes widened. Lois was right about one thing, if she didn’t leave now there was no way she was going to make it to work on time. Chloe grabbed her things and made a bee-line for the door while trying to block out the conversation she’d just had with Lois.

 

______

 

The morning was busier than Oliver had expected. He walked into the office a little after nine and he’d intended to go right to Chloe’s office and talk to her about what Victor had uncovered, but Tess had met him in the hallway and pulled him into her office for a conference call with the New York vice presidents. The problems there weren’t getting any better and Oliver had apparently scared Scott so much the last two times that they spoke that he’d been afraid to go to him with the problem.

Tess had assured Scott that Oliver would listen and then she’d proceeded to glare at him from across the desk each time she thought he was raising his voice too much. Oliver was annoyed, but the last thing he wanted to do was go to New York and handle it in person so he did his best not to bite Scott’s head off.

After that, there had been a meeting with some distributors and another conference call to talk to the plant managers about the progress in Mexico. Tess had taken a trip down there the day before she’d left California, but the government was still giving them a hard time about the permits they needed. Oliver made the call to send in another vice president to handle the matter because he didn’t want Tess going down there again. If he was right about Lex, things were going to be picking up on that front and he was going to need her to cover for him in the office.

Things had finally slowed down around noon and Oliver had been about to go and see if Chloe wanted to have lunch with him when Hal’s words had crept back into his head. She was his subordinate and he wasn’t supposed to show her any kind of favoritism.

It might look weird if he was suddenly seen around town with one of his employees and the last thing Oliver wanted was for Chloe’s name to start appearing in the tabloids as his latest conquest. He knew she would hate that kind of invasion of privacy and he didn’t want to subject her to that. So he worked through lunch, concentrated on returning calls and emails and setting his schedule for the rest of the week. The next time he glanced at the clock, it was nearly three.

Oliver sighed. He hadn’t realized that much time had gone by. He got to his feet, not bothering to put the jacket he’d tossed on his chair back on. He ran his hand through his hair and walked the short distance down the hall to Chloe’s office. The door was halfway open and he knocked lightly before pushing it open the rest of the way and poking his head into the office.

“Hey, do you have a few minutes for me?” he asked. Oliver felt bad that he hadn’t had a moment to talk to her until now considering the last time he’d seen her, he’d been leaving her apartment late on a Friday night. He reminded himself that there was no reason for things to be awkward between them and silently cursed Hal for putting ideas in his head.

Chloe glanced up from her coffee mug at the sound of Oliver’s voice and she couldn’t help the increase in her heartbeat. She had gotten to work slightly after eight and Oliver hadn’t been there yet, so she started on her work and by the time she finished it had been after twelve and Oliver was in some kind of meeting so she decided to use her free time to do a little more digging into the files Lois had gotten for her from Lex’s computer.

She finished taking a sip as she waved him in and placed the mug back on her desk. “For you? I suppose I can spare a few minutes,” She joked with a smile before arching an eyebrow, “What’s up?” She asked as she tried to push Lois’s words about something going on between her and Oliver. There wasn’t they were just friends, friends talked and hung out. There was no reason to feel awkward about anything.

Oliver closed the door at his back despite the fact that Tess was the only other person on the floor. He knew interns and other employees had reasons to wander up from time to time and he couldn’t risk anyone overhearing what he needed to say to her. He took a seat in the visitor’s chair and tried not to notice how the blouse she wore made her eyes brighter. He cursed Hal once again and smiled at Chloe.

He wasn’t going to let his best friend mess with his head. “I hope the rest of your weekend was enjoyable,” he said, not sure why he felt the need to make small talk. It wasn’t really his thing, but if he was being honest, he just wanted to hear how she was before he jumped into business mode.  

“Chloe, what I need to talk to you about is on the sensitive side. One of the reasons I hired you was because you proved that you were capable of getting information that other people couldn’t. But that’s not the main reason I hired you and I think it’s time we talk about that,” he said. Oliver paused, wanting to give her ample time to let his words sink in. He knew she was going to have questions.

Chloe tensed slightly before forcing herself to relax. There was no reason for her to feel uncomfortable. She knew from the beginning that Oliver had a reason to offer her this job and he had also put her fears about him hiring her only to keep an eye on her aside. She knew that had been part of his reasoning but not all of it and though she played it cool Chloe had been doing her best to be patient with him while waiting for him to tell her why he really hired her.

And it looked like he’d finally decided to do that. She leaned forward slightly, a spark of curiosity in her eyes as she studied his expression. She gave him a small smile to put him at ease. “I was wondering when you were going to let me in on the big secret,” She joked. “Let’s have it. Why exactly did you hire me?” She asked quietly.

He saw the tension in her body despite the fact that she instantly tried to hide it. Oliver reached across the desk and took her hand, his eyes never leaving hers. “I want you to help me take down Lex,” he told her matter-of-factly. “I know you’ve been doing research and doing what you can to stop him for a long time. I have too and since neither one of us has managed to succeed on our own, I think it’s time we pool our resources and work together. Really work together,” he stressed.

Oliver didn’t want to do things halfway anymore. He wanted her full trust and he wanted her to know that she had his. He obviously couldn’t tell her about the team just yet, not without giving anyone a heads up, but he had every intention of telling her soon.

Chloe hesitated and squeezed his hand lightly as she leaned in closer to him her voice low. “The 33.1 files on your server,” She said, “That’s why they were there…You’ve been looking into them…You know, I’ve come across quite a few facilities that have been destroyed in the past few months,” She said letting the sentence hang in the air. She didn’t know if he had anything to do with that or if she was reaching, but it wasn’t like he didn’t have the resources to do that.

Then again is that something Oliver Queen would do? She had wanted to ask him about the files since the day she tried to access them. How he found out about hem, why he decided to look into them, what exactly he was doing with the information.

It was a constant effort for her to not attempt to access the files especially when she knew exactly where they were, but that was a testament to how much she wanted this to work. To show him that he can trust her, even though the curiosity of it all practically kept her up at night. More than anything Chloe wanted to know how he knew about Lex. “How did you find out about them?” She asked not able to stop herself.

“I have a lot of friends,” Oliver replied carefully. He knew she was asking him if he had anything to do with the explosions at the facilities. He would tell her the truth about that, but he couldn’t do it now and he hoped she would understand that. “Some of those friends have been imprisoned in Lex’s facilities at one time or another or they’ve been in his crosshairs. Even before I met them, I knew that Lex was a bad guy; I’ve known that since we were in school together. But with the help of some of these friends, I was able to learn more about the facilities and the experiments that were taking place in them.” His expression hardened as he thought about some of the things he’d seen. It made him sick that a monster like Lex was still out there passing himself off as an upstanding citizen. 

Oliver held Chloe’s hand a little tighter and forced himself to calm down. He wasn’t going to help either one of them by getting angry. He nodded toward the computer. “I don’t know if you’ve tried to access the 33.1 files since the first time, but they’ve all been removed from the servers along with everything else pertaining to Lex. I have a private server that very few people have access to. I’d like you to be one of those people.” He’d talked to Victor and the other man had agreed to give him the codes that would allow Chloe to access his internal files.

“I haven’t,” She said quickly before pursing her lips and meeting his eyes. “I figured you’d eventually mention them when you wanted to, or I’d just explode from curiosity…I’m glad you told me before that happened, I’d hate to explode.” She said lightly, but the expression in her eyes was anything but. He had friends…friends who were at one point in Lex’s facilities, which most likely meant his friends were Meta humans.

Her brain worked a mile a minute putting together things she knew in her head attempting to piece together every conversation they’d had since she flew out to Star City. She placed her other hand over his as she spoke. “Ollie you know I’ll do anything I can to help,” She told him softly, the nickname unconsciously rolling off her tongue without her even thinking about it.

“How much information do you have? I have a lot of my own…but it’s saved off the computer because Lex has a tendency to try and get people to hack into my computer, or destroy it…occasionally me too,” She said thoughtfully before shaking her head. “And when you say work together…what exactly is it that you mean? Because I don’t just want to make sure that Lex rots in jail,” She told him quietly.

“I want to make sure that he can’t hurt people anymore…That the things he does to people,” She paused, “That they aren’t still happening even when he’s locked up. He’s a monster Ollie,” She said the words softly, her body tensing slightly as she met his eyes, visibly upset.

Oliver reached out and cupped her cheek with the hand that wasn’t holding hers. He brushed his thumb softly over her chin as he looked into her eyes. He’d been wondering for a long time how Lex had hurt Chloe personally and he was starting to have a pretty good idea. There were so many questions he wanted to ask her about what had happened and then he wanted to find Lex and make him suffer in the worst ways he could think of.

“I won’t let him hurt you, Chloe,” he said. His voice was hard even as he continued to caress her face. “Or anyone else,” he added. “Lex has gotten away with this for far too long. We need to expose him to the world for the kind of monster he really is and put a stop to all of his experimentations.”

He forced himself to calm down again and get back to the subject at hand. “I have a lot of information. I’m guessing some of it is the same as yours when it comes to the 33.1 facilities. I also have access to Lex’s financial records and some other personal family stuff and lots of business information. I keep a close eye on his accounts and where he’s moving his money around to try and anticipate his next move. In some ways he’s predictable and in others he still manages to surprise me, which I hate,” Oliver told her.

“When I say that I want us to work together, I mean exactly that. I want you to share your information and I’ll share mine and we’ll work on anticipating Lex’s next move and stopping it before it happens. Obviously this is the kind of thing that’s going to go beyond the normal nine to five job and you can’t really talk about it with anyone.” Oliver paused, watching her closely to make sure she was still with him.

“I have other people that I work with. Tess is one of them. Hal too,” he said. “I hope you can understand why I can’t share anyone else’s name with you without consulting them first.” The same could be said about their secret identities but Oliver wasn’t going to get into that.

She leaned into his touch, but her eyes dropped to the desk, her voice quiet. “I’m not worried about myself,” She told him, “I’m worried about the people who can’t help themselves.” She said softly before glancing up at him again. Chloe had never had anyone that determined to protect her. She could see in his eyes how serious he was and she wanted to believe him. She wasn’t afraid of Lex, well a part of her was, but she wouldn’t let that fear keep her from doing what she knew was right.

“I have eyes on most of the same things and I’m pretty sure I know more about his past than I ever wanted to,” She sighed, “And I understand completely. I’d never ask you to give me people’s names if they weren’t comfortable with it…we all keep secrets for a reason, trust me that’s something I understand,” She said matter-of-factly. She’d been keeping Clark’s secret for years. The day he finally decided to tell Lois a large weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

“I also understand the need for discretion, my lips are sealed, you can trust me,” She told him softly urging him to believe her as she gripped the arm of the hand that was against her face gently.

“I know that,” Oliver said. He held her gaze for a moment as his hand stilled on her cheek. Once again, he found himself wanting to kiss her and struggled with his self-control. She had just agreed to work with him and to trust him and he couldn’t screw that up by letting whatever it was that he felt for her get in the way of the work that needed to be done.

Reluctantly, he dropped his hand from her face and let go of her other hand as he got up from the chair and moved around the desk to stand behind her. He pointed to the computer where she was logged into Queen Industries’ main server. 

“You need to log out of that and shut down all programs on the desktop,” Oliver said. He gave her a moment to exit out of everything and then he leaned over her chair, placing his hands on the keyboard and typing as he spoke. “There’s a hidden server just beneath the main one.” He showed her the path on the screen that would allow her to access it. Once the new screen popped up, he told her the login and password as he typed them into the computer. An hourglass popped up and seconds later, Victor’s secure server was displayed on the screen. 

“I’m sure you’re dying to explore this on your own and you can do that, but first I want to show you what we came across. Something Lois said on Friday got me thinking,” Oliver told her as he maneuvered his way through the server to pull up the information he wanted to go over with her.

Chloe’s breath caught in her throat at his proximity, but she ignored it as a familiar excitement filled her while watching him isolate certain files and bring them up on her screen. She leaned in slightly her brows furrowing. “You think the charity event is a cover for something and that’s why he didn’t want to draw attention to it by printing Lois’s story in the paper,” She said her heartbeat once again picking up speed and she wasn’t sure if it was the prospect of finally being able to catch Lex doing something wrong or the fact that she could practically feel the heat from  Oliver’s body against her back.

Oliver turned his head and grinned at her. His pulse sped up when he realized her face was only inches from his and he ignored the voice in his head that pointed out how easy it would be to kiss her. “That’s exactly what I thought. It wouldn’t be the first charity event that was a scam to line the pockets of the rich.” He pulled up the rest of the files and gestured to the screen as he moved back so she could see them better.

“When I looked into them, I found that the disaster they were raising money for was real. There was a mudslide that killed nearly two hundred people. Lois had all of that information in her article.” He glanced sideways at Chloe. “The Daily Planet server is one of the things we have access to and it was still on there,” he explained.

“But I knew there had to be a reason Lex didn’t want that article going public and this is it.” Oliver tapped the screen where there was a picture of a South American arms dealer. “This guy deals heavily in black market trades. His bio reads like a horror story. In addition to weapons and women, he also deals in black market art and jewelry which it looks like Lex has been dipping into.” Victor had found evidence that Lex had been selling artifacts to various galleries in Europe and each of the items had originally come from South America.

Chloe leaned in closer to the screen as her fingers moved quickly over the keyboard as she switched through files, read through things and got accustomed with the system she was now working in. She scoffed slightly as she glanced at the things Lex was selling and shook her head. “He thinks he’s slick, that’s cute.” She said as her hands continued to move across the keyboard.

“So you want me to find out what else he’s selling, to which galleries, when it’s happening? And then what? We take it? We send the proof to the cops? What are you planning to do with the information once I get it for you, which I will.” She stated as she read over some of the files in front of her.

“The galleries are legitimate businesses. We need to prove that Lex has a connection to the arms dealer and other known black market agents. The FBI and Interpol take things like this very seriously, Chloe, much more seriously than the Metropolis police would take someone saying that Lex Luthor is running secret labs where he experiments on people. If we can prove Lex has been buying and selling from black market dealers, we’re talking about an international incident that he wouldn’t be able to buy his way out of it. He’d be exiled from foreign countries and forced to stand trial for all of his crimes,” Oliver pointed out.

But the problem was finding proof. He knew Chloe was good. Victor was good too. The black market traders were always a few steps ahead. They were smart enough to leave few paper trails and they killed anyone who got in their way. The team had taken down a few people over the years who had been involved in those kinds of activities and all of the incidents had been ugly and they hadn’t come out unscathed. Oliver had a long scar on his thigh from the blade of a sword a drug lord had nearly killed him with. The only reason the guy had missed the artery he’d been aiming for was Bart creating a distraction.

Chloe nodded. She could tell that Oliver was just as serious about taking down Lex as she was and with his resources they might actually be able to figure this out. She’d have to get used to his system, look through all the information and do some digging, but it didn’t seem impossible. “Okay.” She said before giving him a sideways glance. “So this is what you want me working on?” She asked. “And will I only have access to this here, or can I work on it at home as well?”

Oliver nodded. “I want this to be your focus for the foreseeable future. There might be the occasional business thing that comes up in the meantime that Tess might need you to handle but given the speed at which you access our company files, I’m not too concerned that anything will keep you from this project for too long.” He moved around the desk and sat down in the visitor’s chair once again as he considered the second part of her question.

“I’m sorry, but we can’t take that chance. You live in a public building and frankly you’re way too close in proximity to Lex and you have a reporter for a roommate.” Oliver held up his hand before she had a chance to get defensive. “I’m not saying anything bad about your cousin; she could be every bit as trustworthy as you but I don’t know her. But if you don’t want to stay in the office after hours, you’re more than welcome to come to my place. I have a state of the art system that you can use.”

Oliver knew if she took him up on that offer, he was going to have to tell her about Green Arrow or she was likely to stumble across his equipment room on her own. He also knew Hal was going to have a field day psychoanalyzing his real reasons for wanting her in his apartment but Oliver didn’t care what he had to say on the subject.

Chloe’s brows were furrowed, but at his words she forgot her protests for a minute, her eyes lighting up, “Really?” She asked as she leaned forward. She wasn’t sure what excited her more the thought of seeing the inside of his apartment or the fact that he has a state of the art computer system. She couldn’t even imagine what it must be like. It was probably the latest technology plus a multitude of software that hadn’t even come out yet.

The thought was practically making her salivate, which was sad. No one should like computers that much but she couldn’t help it and the fact that he had that in his home made him even more attractive to her then he originally was. She shook the images in her head away. No, that was a bad path to go down. She bit her lower lip and met his eyes. “I might have to take you up on that offer.” She said lightly.

Oliver leaned forward as well, resting his arms on the desk in front of him as he met her eyes. Chloe was a beautiful woman, but there were times when her entire face lit up and the way her eyes shone with excitement made him forget his own name for a second. Oliver pushed aside his ridiculous reaction and smirked at her. “It’s the computers, right? You want to come over so you can see it. You’re an interesting woman, Chloe Sullivan,” he teased.

She gave him a sheepish smile and rolled her eyes, “Maybe…it’s just, you probably have all this software this isn’t even out on the market yet and you don’t really strike me as a computer guy so it probably just sits there and goes to waste. It should be used and if you’re not going to use it well, then I should because I’d appreciate it the way it should be appreciated,” She said quickly, flushing slightly. “You’re totally mocking me right now aren’t you?” She asked with half a smile on her lips and all of the earlier tension gone from her body.

“People always assume I don’t know my way around a computer. I do run a technology company,” Oliver reminded her. His lips curved into a pout as he settled back against the chair. “But yes, I do have all the latest technology and I am mocking you a little bit right now.” He smiled at her. “I suppose I’ll have to stock up on the coffee if you’re going to be coming by. Something tells me that you go through a lot,” he commented as his eyes fell on the mug that sat in front of her.

Chloe smirked. “Grown men shouldn’t pout,” She said, “It’s unattractive. And I’m not ‘people’ I’m Chloe. I’m sure you know your way around a computer just fine, obviously you wouldn’t be as good at your job if you didn’t,” She rationalized while leaning forward. “What I meant was you don’t seem like the type of person who likes to sit behind a computer, you seem more like the type of person who enjoys taking action and being in the middle of things.” She told him.

“Which means you probably don’t use it as much as it should be used,” She said with a grin as her eyes drifted towards the mug he was glancing at. “I’ve been causing a drought in coffee since I’ve been here haven’t I?” She asked him amused.

“I do not pout,” Oliver protested even though he was pretty sure he was much more offended by the notion that she didn’t find him attractive. He decided it probably wasn’t a good idea to focus on why that bothered him so much. “But you’re right; I do prefer the action side of life. It’s more fun there.” He winked at her as he got to his feet. “Don’t worry about the coffee,” he teased. “Someone should drink it. I don’t and Tess usually stops after lunch. I should probably let you get to work and I have phone calls to return.” He started for the door, pausing before opening it and glancing back at her. “I’m glad you’re on board with this, Chloe. I think you’ll be an asset. Let me know if you need anything,” he said.

"Of course you don't," Chloe said glancing back at the computer for a second before looking back at him. "Thank you for trusting me with this," she said sincerely before sending him a bright smile. "Yes go, do the CEO thing." She told him lightly. "And Ollie," she said pausing, "It really does mean a lot that you trusted me with this." She told him.

Oliver returned her smile. He liked that she was using his nickname. She'd done it earlier but he'd been too distracted by the conversation to focus on it. But at the moment, he was just focused on her and he realized that Hal was right. He did like her. It wasn't just about attraction either though that certainly didn't hurt things. He liked who she was and he liked being around her. He had a feeling it was going to be a big problem for him because there was no way he could act on it.

"I'll see you later, Chloe." Oliver stepped into the hallway, pulled the door closed behind him and sighed. He really didn't know where to go from here.


	8. Chapter 8

Chloe sat outside the small cafe in the center of downtown, coffee in hand as she glanced down at the latest copy of the Daily Planet. She rolled her eyes at the pieces that had made today's front page and idly wondered if Lex was trying to run the newspaper into the ground. She wouldn't put it past him; it seemed like something he would do just because he could.

It was sickening how people at the paper just sat back and let him censor everything they had to say, what happened to truth and justice in journalism? It was times like these that even though it hurt she was glad Lex had fired her. She would be ashamed to have her name associated with this inferior knockoff of her favorite newspaper.

She sighed and lifted her coffee to her lips letting the latte slide down her throat; the cinnamon-y and nutmeg taste of the coffee jolting her taste buds to life. She glanced at her watch briefly before her eyes went back to the paper. It was a little after one and it was finally Friday. For some reason the week felt like it had dragged by. A good deal of her time this week had been spent going through the information on Oliver's secured sever and comparing it with her own.

They were still looking into finding proof that Lex was working black market dealers and so far she'd only been able to find one or two leads that looked promising. It turned out that some of the information Lois had taken from Lex's computer had been helpful too.

All and all things seemed to be going well and she was pretty sure Oliver thought so too, but they still had a long way to go if they were going to get enough evidence to make his crimes stick.  He was supposed to be meeting her there in a little while for coffee before heading back to the office.

Chloe was in the process of turning the page when a familiar voice sounded behind her sending a chill up her spine. "Well, well, well, fancy running into you here Chloe..." He let his voice trail off as he walked towards the chair across from her, pulled it out and sat down. He saw her sitting there when he was making his way across the street to grab a coffee before heading back to the Planet and after going over his personal records last night and seeing the evidence that she had been in them, well he couldn't pass up the opportunity to talk to her.

She pursed her lips, her body tensing slightly as she glared at the man in front of her. "What do you want Lex, I'm busy, if you couldn't already see that," She said in a clipped tone.

He smirked and leaned forward, "You don't look too busy, after all it's not like you actually have a job anymore. How's the hunt going for you anyway?" He asked, unrestrained mirth dancing in his eyes.

Chloe tightened her grip on the paper, but her eye contact never wavered. "You'd be surprised with how well it's turned out for me. And how about you Lex? Things going well in that underground facility of yours?" She asked lightly, "Been experimenting on anyone new?" She said, voice hard.

His eyes turned cold as he leaned in. "I'd be very careful if I were you Chloe. I know you've been messing around, hacking your way into my secured server and I'm here to tell you to stop," He said harshly, "Or you'll be sorry," He told her voice low. "It was so easy for me to get my hands on you last time Chloe...Is that what you want? Did you not get enough the first time around," He asked his voice cold.

She swallowed heavily doing her best to not show him how much his words were getting to her. "Keep up the empty threats Lex, because you and I both know that's all they are. One of these days you're going to mess up and I'm going to find all your dirty little secrets with the proof to go along with them and when I do, I'm going to enjoy watching you fall off your high horse," She said through clenched teeth.

Lex chuckled lightly the anger he saw building in her body making him highly amused. Chloe could pretend all she wanted to, but he knew the truth. He knew her worst fears and if he needed to he'd lock her away and throw away the key. He caught her gaze, icy blue meeting angry green. "Nothing you do will ever get rid of me Chloe. And apparently nothing I've done so far has gotten rid of you, but don't worry, I'm persistent," He whispered. "Stay out of my personal files," He told her.

Chloe arched an eyebrow not ready to back down. "And if I don't?" She said, voice hard knowing she was pushing his buttons and not caring. She was done taking Lex's shit and pretending she didn't hate him.

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Then you're going to have a very big problem, bigger than the ones you already have." He told her, his tone irritated. "Look at yourself; you're a nobody Chloe, who in their right mind would believe anything you have to say about me?" He asked stressing his words as he leaned forward invading her personal space.

“I would,” Oliver said matter-of-factly. Chloe and Lex both turned in his direction when he spoke and Oliver gave Lex a tight smile, using every ounce of his control to keep himself calm and not beat Lex to death in the middle of the café. He’d come in just in time to hear Lex’s threat and as much as he wanted to bash his bald head against the table, Oliver knew he had to play this cool. But seeing Lex so close to Chloe and knowing that she was doing everything she could not to show Lex any fear was making him angry.

“Lex, I know encounters with women have never been your forte, but harassing Chloe while she’s trying to have coffee seems like a new low, even for you. But that’s your thing, isn’t it, Lex? You just keep finding sublevels of filth to roll around in.” Oliver didn’t bother keeping the disgust out of his voice. The two of them had hated each other for years and while they had to play nice every now and again for business purposes, Oliver had no reason to do that at the moment and if Lex didn’t get away from Chloe soon, Oliver wasn’t sure he’d be able to hold onto his restraint.

Lex arched an eyebrow as he glanced at Oliver, a hint of surprise in his eyes that was quickly replaced by amusement. His gaze shifted to Chloe. "Snagged yourself a billionaire Chloe? I'm impressed," He said in a mocking tone. "Then again Oliver's not too picky, his standards are low, he'll sleep with just about anything," he told her.

Chloe tensed, her hands curling around her mug as she tried to ignore his words. She'd never been overly confident in herself and Lex always knew exactly where to hit, but she'd be damned if she gave him the satisfaction of seeing that he got to her.

Lex looked back at Oliver. "And of course it's always a pleasure seeing you Oliver. Why am I not surprised you've found the only other person is this city who hates me as much as you do," he said a cold smirk pulling at his lips.

“That’s very funny, Lex,” Oliver said. “But I doubt that Chloe and I are the only people in this city who hate you. We should start a club,” he commented. “Of course that would be a waste of time since you’re not worth that kind of attention, no matter what you tell yourself in the mirror every morning.” He grabbed a chair from one of the nearby tables and sat down beside Chloe, draping his arm possessively over her shoulders as he smirked at Lex.

“You really shouldn’t believe everything you read about me in the papers, Lex. You know how they tend to be misleading.” Oliver assumed Lex hadn’t heard that Chloe was working for him yet and that suited Oliver just fine. If Lex wanted to think Chloe was his girlfriend that was fine with him too. “I mean look at the one you run.” Oliver nodded his head toward the copy of the Daily Planet that Chloe had in front of her. “It used to be a respectable paper and now it’s barely worth the paper it’s printed on. Sad, really,” Oliver drawled.

Lex pursed his lips. Oliver’s smug tone was really starting to grate on his nerves. “Oh I suppose if you ran it, it would be all about charity events and corruption in the government because you’re such a good person,” He told him with mock seriousness. He let out a chuckle as he met Oliver’s eyes. “You forget Oliver I’ve known you for a long time. You like to play like your this good guy, but I’ve seen what your capable of…just think you probably had a hand in making me the man I am today,” he taunted. “How does that feel? Still feel like a good man?” He asked.

Chloe glared at Lex as she leaned into Oliver and spoke before he could say anything. “Oliver is ten times the man you’ll ever be Lex. Everyone makes mistakes, but regardless of what those mistakes are I’m sure he’s more than made up for them, unfortunately no one can say the same for you. You’ll never change. You can sit there and spout threats until you’re blue in the face. I am not afraid of you.” She told him sharply.

Lex leaned back in his seat and studied her face for a minute. “My how bold we get when our white knight is sitting next to us…Tell me Chloe, what about when your alone at night sleeping with that lavender comforter of yours…Are you still this brave, cause I’ve gotta say you didn’t put up much of a fight last time around. A little drug does a lot of wonders…” He said quietly letting his voice trail off.

Under normal circumstances he would have never said something like that in front of Oliver. But there was nothing normal about this moment and neither of them could prove he’d ever said a thing. Plus it looked like there was something going on between them and any chance he had to upset Oliver was not an opportunity he was going to miss.

Oliver felt Chloe stiffen beside him and he tightened his grip on her, squeezing her shoulder to give her what comfort he could as he stared at Lex across the table. He was a smug bastard and Oliver was looking forward to the day he could finally wipe that smirk off his face. “What point are you trying to make here, Luthor?” he asked.

His tone was bored but the look in his eyes was lethal. He knew Lex hadn’t slipped up; he’d said that on purpose because he knew there was nothing either one of them could do about it at the moment and like everything else, it would be their word against his. “Everyone sitting at this table knows the kind of sick things you do in your spare time, but do you really think making a threat against Chloe is a wise move?”

He leaned forward; lowering his voice to make sure no one around them heard what he was saying. “You’re right about one thing, Lex. I haven’t always been an honorable guy and maybe I’m still not one. But trust me when I say that you do not want to test me, especially on this. Get up and walk away and if you come near Chloe again, I’m going to make you wish you’d jumped after him when you pushed Lionel out that window.”

Lex smirked, “Ah, did Chloe tell you her theory about that?” He said while arching an eyebrow in his direction, “Just another thing she has no proof of. And really Oliver?” He asked, “You’re going to threaten me?” His face held humor even though he was silently seething inside. If Oliver thought he was going to come to his town and try to take Luthor Corp and him on, well he had another thing coming.

“I’d advise you to stay out of my way when it comes to Chloe. She and I have unfinished business,” He said coolly before turning his eyes on her. “How is my wife, Chloe?” He asked a hint of anger in his voice.

Chloe’s hand fell to Oliver’s leg, gripping it lightly as she arched an eyebrow in Lex’s direction. “Why Lex, I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about,” She told him watching as his eyes turned to slits.

“I know you helped her disappear, Chloe, you’ve been a pain in my ass since I can remember and you know a part of me is glad Lana is gone. Now I no longer need to pretend to tolerate you.” He said quietly as he pushed his chair back and stood his eyes drifting to Oliver briefly before moving back to her. “Your little boyfriend might talk a big game, but he won’t be here forever. He’ll drop you just like he does all the other nameless sluts who open their legs for him.” He said quietly but harshly.

“He can’t protect you…No one can,” He said before turning to Oliver. “Whatever your plans are, you’ll fail, just like you always do Oliver. You’re not good enough to beat me, or you would have already done it.” He said while sending a smirk their way. “You two enjoy your coffee, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon,” He was addressing both of them, but his eyes were on Chloe before he spun around and headed for the door slowly.

“It’s always a pleasure seeing you too, Lex!” Oliver called cheerfully as he sent a wave in Lex’s direction as he made his way out the door. He fought to keep the scowl off his face, knowing people were probably looking in their direction.

His blood was boiling and he wanted to follow Lex out the door and make him pay for every sick and twisted thing he’d ever done in his life, but mostly he wanted to make sure he suffered for everything he had done to Chloe. Her hand was still digging into his leg and Oliver knew she was shaken even if she wouldn’t admit it. He leaned in closer to her and pressed a light kiss to the side of her head.

“I’m sorry about that,” he said quietly. He could see a few people watching them and Oliver wouldn’t be surprised if their pictures ended up in the tabloids by the end of the day. He didn’t really care at the moment. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Chloe nodded as she leaned into him and shook her head, her heart beating fast as she spoke softly. “I’m sorry,” She told him. “I can’t seem to stop myself from baiting him…he asks for it, but then every time he always says or does something that,” her voice caught and she realized what she was saying. Admitting that Lex freaked her out to herself or even to Lois was one thing. But talking about it to Oliver…She wasn’t sure if she was ready for that.

Plus if she told him he might not let her help with this project to take him down, he’d think she was weak or too emotionally involved and more than anything she wanted to work with Oliver to help take Lex down. “You know, it’s not important. I’m fine, I’m used to him being like this at least here I didn’t have to dance with him or pretend to be nice to him. I should be thankful for small favors,” She said quietly before glancing at him sideways and sending him half a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

He could see that she was trying to pretend she wasn’t upset and that bothered him. Oliver didn’t know if she didn’t trust him enough to tell him the truth or if she was just an act of self-preservation. Either way, he didn’t want her to feel like she had to hide the truth from him. He was the last person who would ever judge her for any reason. “Chloe, please don’t lie to me,” Oliver said quietly.

He held her gaze as he reached over and brushed her hair back from her face. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to and you don’t have to explain any of that stuff Lex said.” Oliver had already come to the conclusion that Lex had experimented on Chloe and as much as he wanted to help her, he wasn’t going to force her to talk about something that had obviously been traumatizing.

“But please don’t tell me you’re fine when I can see that you’re not. Tell me it’s none of my business or you don’t want to talk about,” he suggested. Oliver wanted her to see that she could trust him with anything and even if she didn’t want to talk, he was going to be there for her.

Chloe hesitated. “I’m sorry,” She said again, “Lex and I,” She paused thinking about, “We have a complicated past. He wasn’t always like this…Or maybe he was and I was just some kind of naïve teenager who didn’t realize it.” She shrugged, “Who knows. But somewhere down the line he stopped trusting me and instead of being my friend he decided I was his enemy.” She told him and she knew it was when she found out about Clark and starting lying for him.

Lex had seen through her lies and that was when the trouble had started. Everything from that point on had gone downhill. Chloe let out a short breath, her hand on his leg loosening slightly, but not leaving his thigh. “For a while he left me alone because of Lana, but like I said before I think when I helped her disappear, that really broke any good he had left in him if there was any there to begin with. He’s been trying to even the score since I can remember.” She said quietly as she glanced up and met his eyes.

“And I guess even though I’m used to this and I’ve had more near death experiences than most people twice my age, sometimes it still gets a little scary.” She admitted softly. “Knowing he’s out there, that he knows where I am,” She paused, “It’s one of the many reason’s I want him behind bars so bad. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder,” She said while swallowing heavily.

“Thank you for telling me that,” Oliver said. It hurt him to see how much Lex had hurt her and he knew he was still only getting part of the story. But he’d meant it when he’d told her she didn’t have to tell him if she didn’t want him to. He wanted Chloe to know that he was her friend, but he wasn’t going to pry into her life. He stroked her cheek, his thumb brushing over her chin as he tilted her head back so she was looking into his eyes.

“I meant what I said the other day, Chloe. I will protect you from Lex. His fatal flaw will always be his ego. He’d rather see me as some mindless party boy than as a real threat and that’s his mistake,” Oliver said. It was the same mistake Lex had been making again and again over the years. It had allowed Oliver to swoop in and take business deals away from him and more than that, it had given Green Arrow access to things Lex would never in a million years dream that Oliver Queen knew or cared anything about.

Chloe’s face softened as she leaned into the caress, her thumb stroking his thigh lightly. “Ollie, you know I don’t expect you to do that. I can take care of myself; I didn’t make it this far with blind luck.” She told him gently, though she knew it didn’t hurt that she had Clark on her side looking out for her all these years. “Not that I don’t appreciate you wanting to protect me, because it means more than you know.”

She frowned slightly. “As much as I try to hide it and hold my head high, he knows he gets under my skin. He knows what to do and what to say to get to me,” She admitted quietly, “But what he doesn’t get about me is, no matter how hard he swings or how many time he tries to kill me, or hurt me. I’ll never stop. I won’t give into the fear and let him win, he doesn’t deserve that. So let him have his fun, I won’t be his victim. That’s not who I am.” She told him, voice more confident than she felt as she studied Oliver’s face.

She tilted her head to the side and reached up with her free hand brushing a thumb under his eye as she cupped his cheek, eyes never leaving his. “Are you alright? He wasn’t exactly kind to you.” She said quietly, not realizing that even more people were watching them then before.

“I’m glad you appreciate it because I do want to protect you, Chloe and I always get what I want,” Oliver told her pointedly. His voice was low and he was well aware that people were staring at them. He was used to it and he wasn’t really bothered by it anymore. He knew that everyone probably thought they were having an intimate moment and Oliver was fine with that too. He knew he was crossing a line but he was having a hard time caring at the moment. Oliver’s gaze dropped to her mouth for a few seconds before he met her eyes once again.

He smiled reassuringly as he continued to stroke her cheek. “You don’t need to worry about me. Lex has been taunting me for years and he really should come up with some new material.” Oliver’s smiled faded and his expression became serious again. “The difference between us is that I’ve changed since we went to school together and he doesn’t know anything about the person I am now. I know everything about the monster he is and I’m going to stop him,” he told her bluntly. Oliver was done letting Lex get away with anything. Now that he knew just how much of a target Chloe had on her back, he was more determined than ever to bring Lex down.

Chloe watched him closely, her heartbeat speeding up slightly. She had the strangest urge to close the distance between them and press her lips against his, but she shoved it aside. She couldn’t do that. Kissing Oliver would ruin everything. It didn’t matter how his slightly callused hands felt against her skin, or how every time his thumb stroked her cheek warmth filled her entire body. No, none of that mattered she told herself sternly as she forced herself to focus on his words.

She nodded. “And I’m going to help you,” She said softly as her tongue darted out, running over her bottom lip unconsciously, her eyes still on his. “Ollie,” His name came out in one breathe her hand tightening slightly on thigh as she tried to remember what she was going to say.

His eyes followed the movement of her tongue as every cell in his body seemed to come alive under her touch. If she kept stroking his leg like that, there was a solid chance he wouldn’t be able to hide his reaction to her. Oliver stroked her cheek again, enjoying the way her skin seemed to warm beneath his touch. He watched her mouth and he found himself leaning toward her. Every reason he had for not kissing her was flashing through his mind, but Oliver was having a hard time focusing on anything except how much he wanted to feel her lips beneath his. “Chloe,” he said, hoping to let his rational senses take over. But nothing came to mind and he continued moving toward her. He lowered his head and his lips were within a breath of hers when a loud crash echoed throughout the café.

Oliver pulled back, startled, and turned his attention to the commotion near the doorway. One of the workers had bumped into the table that held napkins, cream, sugar and other spices and knocked it to the floor. Several other workers hurried over to help clean up the mess. Oliver sighed inwardly and glanced at Chloe, wondering how big of a mistake he had almost made. “We should go,” he said. The words were the first ones that popped into his head.

Chloe opened her mouth and closed it quickly nodding, her heart leaping into her throat as she pulled away from him, the loud noise making her realize just how close they were. Oliver had almost kissed her…and she almost let him. What was wrong with her? There was no reason to be hurt that he’d pulled back, Oliver had most likely just come to his senses and wondered why he was about to kiss her.

She swallowed heavily and reached out grabbing her coffee from the table. “You’re right,” She told him while glancing away from him and standing quickly. “I need to get back to work, I’ve still got things to do and I’m sure your busy, so, I’ll just…I’ll see you later.” She gave him a quick smile as she started to make her way around him.

He moved to the side, effectively blocking her path. Oliver could see that she was flustered, but he couldn’t tell if she was upset because he had almost kissed her or if she was upset because he hadn’t gone through with it. He heard Hal’s voice reminding him that this was a bad idea and he realized now that he should have listened.

No matter what Chloe was thinking at the moment, Oliver knew it was his fault she was confused. He was sending her mixed signals and it wasn’t like he could straighten things out. How was he supposed to tell her that he liked her and he wanted to be with her but he didn’t think it was a good idea because they worked together? It sounded like a ridiculous excuse even to him. But he knew he had to say something to fix his carelessness.

“I meant that we should leave together,” he told her quietly. Oliver could see that most people were still watching the workers clean up the mess and he took the opportunity to move closer to her, resting his hand on her hip so she wouldn’t walk away. “We still need to talk about what you found but I think doing that in public was our mistake. We can go to my place or back to the office,” he added.

Oliver wanted the decision to be hers. He knew it was risky bringing her to his apartment after what had almost happened, but he didn’t want her to think that he didn’t want to be around her.

Chloe watched him for a minute as she gnawed on her lower lip. “Right, I forgot about that,” She told him quietly before relaxing some of the tension in her body. She didn’t think it would be the best idea to head to his apartment since she apparently couldn’t stop the urge to kiss him every time they were close. They’d probably be a lot safer in the office we’re she couldn’t embarrass herself.

She rested her hand on his arm and nodded. “Why don’t we head back to the office?” She said lightly.

“Good idea,” Oliver agreed. The office was definitely the safer choice where they could sit on opposite ends of the desk and not in as close of proximity as they could on his couch. He reached for his wallet and tossed some bills on the table and then took her hand that was resting on his arm in his. Oliver held her gaze for a moment and then lightly tugged on her hand, pulling her with him toward the door.

 

______

 

“Thanks, Stella. Call my cell phone if you need anything else. I’m getting ready to leave for the day,” Tess told her assistant. The other woman said her goodbyes and Tess ended the call and turned her chair toward the computer to exit out of the system. It was nearly seven p.m. and while she knew Hal was still going to complain that she was working too hard, she thought it was a fairly reasonable time to be leaving the office and she was going to tell him that when he lectured her.

She smiled to herself when she thought about the look he got on his face when he was reprimanding her about her long hours. He was pretty cute when he was concerned about her. She knew how lucky she was to have such a great boyfriend.

Tess grabbed her purse and the stack of newspapers one of the interns had brought her. She hadn’t had a chance to go through them, but she’d probably already read most of the news on the internet. She frowned when she saw the Inquisitor near the bottom of the stack. There was another picture of Oliver and Chloe from their meeting at the café earlier in the week.

The tabloid press had been all over the story of the billionaire and the small town girl. That was actually how they were referring to her like she was some sort of Cinderella wannabe instead of a smart, capable woman. Tess rolled her eyes. She hated the tabloids almost as much as she hated the people with cell phone cameras who kept them in business. She had to admit the picture of Oliver and Chloe did look rather intimate with the way they were touching each other’s faces.

She stared at the picture for another minute as something Hal had said came back to her. He thought Oliver had a thing for Chloe and that was why he was doing all this stuff for her. Tess told him that he was off base, but now she was starting to think he might be right.

Oliver certainly did seem taken with the blonde and if the way she was looking at him in the picture was anything to go by, Chloe seemed pretty into him too. Tess knew Hal thought it was a bad idea, but he didn’t know Chloe very well. Of course, Tess didn’t know her very well either but that could easily change.

Gathering the papers, Tess went into the conference room and dropped them in the recycling bin. She turned out the light and started for the elevator when she noticed Chloe’s light was still on. Tess smiled to herself.

She knew Oliver was already gone for the day which meant they were the only two still here and she could take the opportunity to get a better idea where Chloe’s head was at. She made her way down the hall and knocked on Chloe’s open door. “Busy?” she asked lightly.

Chloe glanced up, mug of coffee in hand as usual getting her nighttime fix so she could be coherent for a few more hours, and smiled. “Not too much, what’s up?” She asked lightly while motioning the other woman in. She had decided to stay a little later than usual since she spent most of her morning on the phone with her cousin once again telling her there was absolutely nothing going on with her and Oliver.

When the photos first hit newsstands Chloe had been shocked to say the least. Lois had come home from work that day slamming several copies of different tabloids including the Daily Planet onto the table and demanded answers. She had tried to explain to her cousin that the photos were misleading and Lex had come by and was threatening both of them and Oliver had been checking to make sure she was okay.

Her cousin of course wasn’t buying it and she was still going on and on about it. And if that wasn’t enough she was following up with her plans to set up an interview with Oliver. She had called his secretary this morning. Chloe sighed.

On top of that people around the office were watching her closely and she was sure every time she walked by and the whispering stopped it was because it was about her. But she hadn’t been letting the gossip get to her. People were always going to talk. She wouldn’t let them make her feel weird. There was nothing going on between her and Oliver and they both knew it.

“Not much,” Tess replied. “I was just on my way out and I thought I’d stop by and see how you were doing.” She took a seat across from Chloe and tried to think of the best way to broach the subject of Oliver without sounding like she was on a fishing expedition even though that was exactly what she was planning.

Tess wasn’t the type to engage in idle gossip and she was pretty sure most of the employees were afraid of her anyway, but she’d heard the rumors flying around the office so she had no doubt Chloe had too. She didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, but she wanted to know how she was handling it. If she was going to be with Oliver, there was no way around the tabloids.

“The office has been noisier lately,” Tess commented carefully as she watched Chloe’s face. “Oliver has had years of practice and he’s good at ignoring the kinds of things that are said, but I wanted to make sure you were all right. I’ve had my own share of false rumors concerning my relationship with Oliver so I understand what you’re going through at the moment.” She waited to see if Chloe made any correction to the term “false.”

Chloe swallowed heavily and met the red head’s eyes and gave her a small smile while shrugging. “It happens. I guess it’s more interesting for people to pull the romance card then to consider the two of us might actually be friends,” She said carefully, but kept her voice light. “Ollie and I,” She paused, “We’re friends, I mean I think we are.” She said a hint of confusion on her face.

She decided not to dwell on that as she motioned to her recycle bin where several papers were tossed. “The people who took the pictures just caught us at an awkward moment. Oliver was just being a good friend, making sure I was okay.” She told the other woman with a nod. He had been about to kiss her and she was going to let him, but that didn’t matter, because nothing happened. Two consenting adults could hold hands, and be in each other’s space without it being more than friendship.

Chloe gave Tess a sheepish look. “I guess what I’m saying or attempting to is, that I’m fine, thanks for asking. But I figure if I just ignored it instead of making the issue worse it’ll all blow over eventually.” Just how she’d decided to ignore their almost kiss and was acting like it never even happened. Yup, never happened.

The look on Chloe’s face told Tess everything she needed to know. There was more to the story than those photos showed and the woman in front of her was definitely smitten with Oliver. That suited Tess’s agenda just fine. Oliver was her best friend. He had come into her life at one of her lowest points and he had been there for her ever since.

He’d also introduced her to the man she loved more than her own life and she would forever be grateful to him for that. But Tess knew how Oliver’s mind worked and she was willing to bet everything she owned that he had convinced himself that it would be a mistake to get involved with Chloe because he wanted her to be part of the team and they had to work together.

Tess knew he was probably rationalizing the hell out of the situation because if he wasn’t, she had no doubt he already would have gotten Chloe into his bed. Clearly, they just needed a little help.

“Oliver is a good guy,” Tess said. “Probably one of the best ones there is out there so I have no doubt that he was being a good friend.” She offered Chloe a pleasant smile, hoping to get her to relax. “I’m glad the tabloids don’t bother you. The more time you spend with Oliver, the more you’re going to end up in them.” She lowered her voice even though they were the only two people on the floor.

“I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but Oliver takes his stoic leader thing a little too personally. I think he forgets sometimes that he doesn’t have to be alone to save the world. It’s nice that you two are getting closer.” She leaned back in her seat and let Chloe think about that for a moment.

Chloe bit her bottom lip her brows creasing slightly. “Well, he doesn’t seem too serious,” She said and  then thought better of it not wanting Tess to think she meant he wasn’t serious about his business or stopping Lex. “What I mean is when we’re together he seems to be able to keep the balance between being serious and being…Oliver,” She said amusement in her eyes as her face brightened slightly.

“Between us,” She said lowering her voice, “He can be a bit of a goof ball, but in a completely adorable way. And oh my god I’ve never seen a grown man pout as much as he does. He’s like a child , if he doesn’t get his way he pouts until you can’t help but  give it to him because he just looks so,” She paused and sat back in her seat pursing her lips as she realized she was babbling. She let out a nervous chuckle before glancing away from Tess as she fixed some papers on her desk.

“Well I’m sure I don’t need to tell you, I mean the way Ollie tells it you guys have been friends for years, so I’m sure you know all his silly habits,” She told her lightly.

Tess didn’t miss the way Chloe kept calling him Ollie instead of Oliver and she nearly had to put her hand over her face to stop herself from laughing. She wondered if Chloe had any idea how much she was gushing right now.

Amused, Tess simply nodded. “Yes, he does love to pout but if you call him out on it he’ll deny it just like he denies…being dramatic,” she said quickly, catching herself from the comment she’d been about to make about Oliver’s costume. She knew he was planning on telling Chloe about his extracurricular activities, but Tess doubted he would be happy if she let it slip in this context.

“I’m glad you’re getting a chance to see the real Oliver. He doesn’t let many people in, which is too bad because he’s a much better guy than he lets people think.” Tess gestured to the papers.

“It infuriates me when I see people comparing him to Lex.” Her expression hardened, the familiar knot making itself known in her stomach to remind her about her family connection. “Sorry,” she said quickly. She didn’t want to bring the subject to herself. “What are you doing for dinner tonight?” she asked.

Chloe frowned. “It’s alright, I know what you mean. He’s nothing like Lex, people are stupid. Ollie’s,” She paused trying to find the right words, “He’s a really good person,” She said softly before shaking the thoughts  away and smiling at Tess. “Uh, I’m not sure. I haven’t actually thought that far ahead.” She replied. “I was trying to focus on getting more of this stuff done and dinner sort of slipped my mind.” She told her.

Tess nodded. “I know the feeling. Sometimes I say I’m going to finish up one more thing and then all of a sudden it’s after nine and I’m getting angry text messages from Hal. Of course he’s the same way when he’s flying – he’s an air force pilot – and he comes home after midnight and just gives me this sheepish look.” Her lips curved into a smile as she thought about how he liked to wake her up to tell her all about the records he broke that day.

Other times he woke her up to tell her about his latest trip out of the atmosphere, but she couldn’t share that kind of thing with Chloe. “Sorry, I’m getting off track. Would you like to have dinner with me?” she asked.

Chloe smiled at the look on Tess’s face as she talked about Hal. She could see how much the red head loved him, which meant he couldn’t be as horrible as he’d come across when they met or there’s no way a woman like Tess would be with him. She nodded. “I know, Ferris Aircraft right?” She asked lightly before leaning forward and starting to shut down her computer. “Sure, I mean if you’re sure you wouldn’t mind me tagging along. I don’t want to keep you,” She told her as she met the other woman’s eyes.

“Chloe, I know we haven’t had a chance to really get to know one another yet, but I’m not the kind of person who says things she doesn’t mean,” Tess told her. “I’d like you to come over for dinner so we can spend some time together outside of these walls.” She motioned absently with her hand as she shifted in the chair and re-crossed her legs. “Don’t worry, I won’t be cooking either,” she said. “There’s a great Italian place near the clock tower that we order in from nearly every night of the week.”

Chloe chuckled. “No worries, I’m not a cooker either. I don’t actually go near the kitchen unless there’s coffee or chocolate involved,” She said with a grin. The smile left her face a minute later and she hesitated before speaking. “Are you sure Hal won’t mind?” She asked quietly. “I don’t want to intrude and I know he isn’t my biggest fan. I don’t want to make him uncomfortable in his own home,” She said lightly. Nor did she really feel like getting yelled at after a long day. After her confrontation with Hal, she’d done her due diligence and did a little research on him.

She hadn’t found any incidents like what happened at Oliver’s office so it was always nice to know that she was the only one he hated, then again Chloe guessed she couldn’t really blame him, but still. She shook herself out of her thoughts and tilted her head in Tess’s direction waiting for her answer.

“Hal won’t mind,” Tess said. Not if he knows what’s good for him, she thought to herself even as she kept her pleasant smile in place. Tess knew he felt bad about yelling at Chloe since that wasn’t the kind of guy he was. She also knew he still didn’t trust her and he wasn’t crazy about the fact that Oliver was falling for her.

Tess figured he just needed a chance to get to know her. They all needed a chance to get to know one another better. “I know you probably have a negative opinion of him and I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve it after the way he behaved, but he’s not a bad guy. He thought he was protecting me which is sweet but he went about it wrong and he knows that. But I can personally guarantee he will be on his best behavior and he won’t mind you being there. Will you come?” she asked.

Chloe smiled. “Sure, I’d like to get to know you better too…both of you. Ollie talks a lot about you both,” She said lightly, “You’re important to him and I don’t want either of you to have a problem with me if we’re all going to be working together.” She told her as she glanced down at the desk. “And for the record, I don’t think Hal’s a bad guy,” She said as she looked back at Tess.

“And I get it, why he said what he said. He must love you an awful lot and there’s nothing wrong with trying to protect the people you love,” She said quietly with half a smile. “Let me just log out and grab my things, then we can go if you don’t mind waiting a second,” She told her while continuing to shut things down.

Tess smiled. “He does and I love him too. Actually, while you’re getting your stuff together, I’m going to text him and let him know we’re on the way so he doesn’t eat without me. He tends to do that sometimes and then tells me it’s my own fault for being a workaholic.” She shook her head as she reached for her cell phone. What she was actually doing was texting Hal and telling him to stop whatever he was doing so he could track down Oliver and make sure he was there when they got to the apartment. But Chloe didn’t need to know that.

 

______

 

Hal sighed as he walked through Oliver’s penthouse looking for his friend. He got his girlfriend’s weird text message a little over five minutes ago and he’d promptly put the left over Chinese in the refrigerator and went in search of Oliver. He’d had a long and boring day and he wasn’t in the mood to search high and low for his friend. He was pretty sure this is why people had cell phones. Oliver should probably try answering his.

Hal knew he’d been crankier than normal lately, but he was going slightly stir crazy in Metropolis with nothing to do. He needed more action. He hadn’t said anything because he knew Tess would feel like she pushed him into coming and that wasn’t the case at all. He was so glad he was with her and that they had down time together, but he seriously needed to find something to do with his days.

He sighed before glancing in the living room and when he didn’t see his friend he paused in the hallway and shouted loud enough for his voice to travel throughout the apartment. “MARCO!” He said with a large grin on his face.

Oliver was caught off guard by the sound of Hal’s voice and he quickly moved to his right to avoid the large punching bag that narrowly missed knocking into him. Breathing hard, Oliver steadied the bag as he tried to figure out what Hal was doing there. He glanced at the clock on the wall of his training room. He’d gotten home from the office nearly two hours ago and decided a workout would be a good way to burn off the access energy that he didn’t know what do with. He’d changed into a pair of sweat pants and had done his usual routine of weight lifting and sit-ups and still felt like he was wound so tight he was about to snap in half so he’d turned to the bag to work out some frustrations.

Apparently, he’d had more than even he realized. His face and chest were dripping with sweat and each and every muscle in his arms seemed to be on fire. Oliver pushed the bag aside and grabbed his bottle of water from the bench. He drank half of it in one long gulp. “I’m in here!” he called out to Hal before he finished the bottle and tossed it aside.

Hal changed direction and made his way towards Oliver’s workout room. He walked down the hallway and stopped in the doorway eyebrow raised in his friend’s direction. He looked tense…and like he’d lost half his body weight in sweat. He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest as he studied his friends face.

“First, the correct answer is Polo,” He joked before smiling, “Secondly my girlfriend text me and told me to fetch you and before you ask no I don’t know why. She said she’s coming home with dinner or something and she wants you there.” He told him lightly.

“Which means you probably did something to make her mad and you’re getting yelled at, haha,” He teased in good humor. He paused before motioning around the room. “So…training for some kind of triathlon?” He asked curiously as to why his friend looked like he was beating up the workout equipment.

“If Tess was mad at me, she wouldn’t invite me over for dinner unless she wants to poison me and in that case, you’ll need to taste everything first,” Oliver said. He grabbed the towel from where he’d tossed it on a chair and started to wipe some of the sweat from his body. “Tell Tess that I have to pass. I’m not really much company at the moment,” he said as he patted down his face and then moved onto his chest.

The truth was he was trying to get his mind off Chloe but all he could think about was how close he’d come to kissing her and how he wished he’d gone through with it. Things had been strange between them the past few days.

She kept telling him the tabloid articles weren’t getting to her, but he’d noticed she’d been careful to always keep space between them and she’d actually emailed him a few times instead of coming into his office when she had to tell him something. Oliver wasn’t sure if he was reading into things or if she was trying to send him a message that he needed to back off. He thought maybe she was trying to keep things professional so people in the office would stop talking about them, but he couldn’t help wondering if she was letting him know that she wasn’t interested.

Not that it mattered if she was interested because he knew nothing could happen between them. He’d talked to the team and the guys were fine with bringing her into the fold. It turned out the all three of them had met Chloe before so it wouldn’t be that big of a deal for her to find out they were working with him. He still had to tell her who he was and who Hal was, but Oliver hadn’t had any time alone with her since that day in the café. He was frustrated and since he couldn’t go patrolling, working out was the only release he had.

Hal pointed at him. “You know I love you man, but not enough to taste poisoned food for you. Besides if it was poisoned Tess wouldn’t let me eat it,” He said with a grin. He waited a second before pursing his lips and sighed. Okay so maybe he hadn’t been completely honest with his friend, Hal was going to have to tell him. He shrugged. “Yeah okay that’s fine. I’ll just tell her to send your girlfriend home then,” He said while turning on his heel and heading slowly back down the hallway waiting for his friend to follow knowing that he would.

Lately it seemed all Oliver did was spend time with the petite blonde and Hal couldn’t say he was too happy about that, though he was happy that his friend was happy. It was a double edged sword. He counted down in his head and he was about three feet from the kitchen when he heard Oliver call out to him. He smirked and turned around to face his friend, “What was that?” He asked lightly.

“My girlfriend?” Oliver repeated as he followed Hal toward the kitchen. “What are you talking about?” Oliver could only assume that Hal meant Chloe. His friend was too smug for his own good and he only got that way when he knew something that Oliver didn’t. He wasn’t sure what Chloe had to do with Tess inviting him to dinner, but he wanted Hal to tell him immediately. “Come on, man. What’s going on?” he asked when Hal continued to just stand there and smirk at him.

Hal rolled his eyes. Oliver really knew how to take away his fun looking at him all serious like the world was ending. He shrugged. “Nothing she invited Chloe over for dinner. So she told me to have you come down that’s all,” He said nonchalantly. “But if you’re busy or you’re not up to it then fine. I’ll go have dinner with them myself, which by the way I’m not too happy about.” He said with a frown.

“Why did Tess invite Chloe to dinner?” Oliver asked suspiciously. He loved Tess like the sister he’d never had, but anything remotely resembling domesticity was not her thing. She didn’t have dinner parties or brunches or anything like that. He wasn’t sure she could tell the difference between a frying pan and a wok and Oliver had no doubt she would grab whichever one was closer and hit him over the head with it if he ever mocked her for it. But all of a sudden she wanted to have everyone over for dinner and she had sent Hal to fetch him? That set off warning bells in Oliver’s head.

The rest of Hal’s words registered and Oliver glared at his best friend. “I thought you were going to apologize to Chloe and now you have issues with her again? I’m telling you that we can trust her. I don’t know why my word is suddenly not good enough for you,” he said. Oliver didn’t understand why Hal was so determined to think the worst of Chloe. He didn’t even know her. He had no idea how amazing and special she was. Oliver’s expression softened as he thought about her.

Hal rolled his eyes, and right on cue there were his best friend’s goo goo eyes for the blonde he worked with. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched his friend for a minute. “Relax would you? Don’t get your panties in a bunch.” He said. “I’m still going to apologize, but Oliver…I still don’t trust her and it’s not because your word isn’t good enough, it’s because you barely know the woman and you’ve all but told her your secret already.” He said quietly. “You’re usually a lot more careful then this…I just think it’s fast that’s all.”

Oliver sighed. “I haven’t told her my secret yet. I haven’t had any time alone with her in awhile.” He lifted one shoulder in a shrug and moved past Hal toward the refrigerator. He pulled out two bottles of water and tossed on to Hal as he turned to his friend again. “And I don’t ‘barely know’ Chloe. I know her pretty well. We’ve spent a lot of time together lately or we did until those pictures came out and now she acts like I have the plague.” He scowled at the thought. He had no doubt Lex was behind the pictures and it was just one more reason he wanted to make him suffer.

And Oliver’s current aggression suddenly made sense. He was upset because his Girl Friday wasn’t paying enough attention to him. If Hal didn’t know that his friend was honestly hurting because of this he’d laugh. It was such an absurd reason for him to be angry especially when he kept insisting there was nothing going on between them. “I see…Have you talked to her about it?” He asked as he opened the bottle of water and sat down on one of the stools.

“What is there to talk about?” Oliver asked as he took a seat beside Hal. He toyed with the label on the bottle as he spoke. “The papers freaked her out because she’s a normal person who doesn’t want to live in the public eye. I can’t blame her for that or for distancing herself from me. You know how people talk. I hear it in the office all the time when people don’t think I’m listening. Tess does too. That’s probably the real reason she wants to have this dinner,” he said as the realization sank in.

Tess knew what it was like to be hounded by the press. When she’d first started working for him, everyone assumed he’d given her the job because they were sleeping together. She probably wanted to give Chloe advice on the best way to stay under the radar.

“Oliver really, the girl was practically all over you. Did you ever think that maybe you’re just reading too much into this? Trust me I in no way want to encourage the two of you being together, but at least when you were spending all your time with her you weren’t moping around the apartment.” He said quietly while furrowing his brows. “Stop being such a drama king and talk to her. Ask her if it bothers her instead of assuming it does.” He told him with a shrug.

“Tess probably asked her to come over so that I would apologize,” He grumbled, “This probably has nothing to do with you. But here’s a clue, man up. Since when do you run away like a little girl from your issues?” He asked as he gave his friend a sideways look.

“Shut up,” Oliver replied petulantly. But as he took a long drink of water, he wondered if Hal was right. Maybe he was moping a little and maybe it would be better to just talk to Chloe instead of assuming that she was trying to distance herself from him. Maybe she was just busy. He knew she was working hard on digging up information about Lex.

Maybe he should stop playing the maybe game and take Hal’s advice. It was time to man up. It was time to tell Chloe everything once and for all. “I need to take a shower and change but tell Tess I’ll be there soon. Order me the baked gnocchi from the Italian place and just give them my name. They have my card on file.” He started to walk out of the kitchen and paused in the doorway to glance back at his friend. “Thanks, man,” he said sincerely.

Hal smirked and nodded. “Yeah, no problem…every now and then even Oliver Queen,” his said his friends name in an exaggerated girly tone, “Needs a swift kick in the ass,” He said with a chuckle as he pushed himself up, grabbed the water bottle and headed towards the elevator. “I’ll see you in a little bit.” He got in the elevator and shout at his friends retreating back. “And put a shirt on!” He grinned while pushing the button and heading back down stairs to order dinner.


	9. Chapter 9

Tess stood outside the clock tower waiting for Chloe to park her car across the street. She had insisted on driving herself there even though Tess had offered to give her a ride. Chloe had pointed out that she did need to get herself back to Smallville after dinner and Tess conceded that it was a valid point.

She glanced down at her cell phone to see if Hal had returned her latest text. He’d told her that Oliver had agreed to come but he was in a weird mood. Tess had asked what he meant by that but Hal hadn’t gotten back to her. She was about to text him again, but Chloe joined her on the sidewalk before she could. Tess slipped the phone in her bag and led Chloe to the elevator. 

Once they were both inside the car, Tess typed in the code to start it and pushed the button for her floor. She could see Chloe looking at the panel curiously and Tess had a feeling she was thinking about the fact that Oliver lived in the building. Tess hadn’t mentioned that he’d be joining them for dinner.

She didn’t want Chloe to come up with any excuses to back out. Although Tess was a bit apprehensive now that she knew Oliver was in a bad mood. Chloe had commented earlier on his pouting, but she had never witnessed him when he was being temperamental and Tess really hoped that wasn’t going to be the case tonight. Hopefully Oliver would shove aside whatever was bothering him and put his game face on. If not, she was going to have to kick his ass for being an idiot.

The elevator doors opened and Tess led Chloe into the apartment. “Just throw your purse and jacket anywhere,” she said. “Hal, we’re here!” she called as they made their way into the living room.

Hal sighed lightly, rolled his neck and stood from the couch. He knew he was going to have to apologize and he planned to get it over with quick. Oliver had text him a little while ago saying he’d be there soon. He moved out into the hallway and his face immediately softened when he saw Tess. His eyes drifted for a second towards Chloe who placed her jacket and purse over a chair. He glanced back at Tess and grinned. “There’s my favorite girlfriend…what happened to coming home early today?” He asked eyebrow raised as he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“This is early,” Tess teased. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. As she pulled back, she gave him a warning look. She loved Hal, but she knew he could be unpredictable and she didn’t want him to do or say anything that could ruin her little matchmaking effort. “I thought I would introduce the two of you properly this time. Hal, this is Chloe. Chloe, this is Hal.” She stepped back to give Hal a chance to talk to Chloe.

Chloe watched him for a minute before sending him a small smile. She really wanted to try and get on better footing with him. He was important to Oliver and if she planned to be friends with him then she needed to try and get along with the people he cared about. When he didn’t go over to her right away she rolled her eyes and took a step forward.

“Hi I’m Chloe, the selfish blonde from the office, you must be Hal, Ollie’s best friend it’s nice to meet you…again. Though hopefully this time it’ll be more pleasant, unless of course there’s anything else you need to get off your chest,” She joked, as she reached out a hand trying to break the tension that seemed to be in his body.

Hal’s lip twitched and he took her hand and shook it. “I’m Hal, the overbearing ass from the office, I’m sure you remember.” He said lightly. Well at least she had a sense of humor and didn’t seem to be holding a grudge against him. That was always a good thing. He glanced at Tess over his shoulder, “Hey Red you want to call in the order and put a rush on it? I wasn’t sure what you wanted tonight so I didn’t order yet.” He told her, nodding in the direction of the kitchen, subtly motioning for her to give them a minute.

“Wow, I’m not even home five minutes and you’re asking me to leave you alone with another woman. I’m not sure how I feel about this,” Tess teased. She winked at Hal and smiled at Chloe before making her way to the kitchen. She found the menu on the counter along with the order Hal and Oliver’s orders already written on a piece of paper next to it. Hal had written “Oliver is paying” in big letters on top of the pad.

Tess rolled her eyes and picked up the phone to place the order. She realized she’d forgotten to ask Chloe what she wanted. Tess started to walk back in the living room and then changed her mind. She didn’t want to interrupt Hal’s talk with Chloe. She pulled out her cell phone and texted Oliver instead asking him what she should order for Chloe. He texted back a minute later telling her that whatever she was up to, he wasn’t interested and told her to order the chicken parmesan and he’d be there in ten minutes. Tess smirked to herself as she placed the order.

Hal motioned towards the living room as he scratched the back of his neck. “Feel like sitting?” He asked lightly.

Chloe nodded, “Sure,” She said as she followed him towards the living room and sat on the couch. She watched as he sat in the chair across from her before her eyes drifted around the apartment. It was nice, a good size and decorated modernly. She placed her hands on her lap and pursed her lips as her gaze moved back to Hal, not really sure what to say.

He studied her expression for a minute before letting out a long breath and figuring he might as well just get it over with. He caught her eyes and spoke. “Look, I owe you an apology for the way I treated you at the office.” He hesitated before glancing down. “I’m not the kind of guy who usually screams at people in an attempt to intimidate them,” He said while looking back up at her sheepishly.

“I’m not proud of what I did, or how I made a scene. And I’m not trying to defend what I did because like I said I was wrong, but you’ve got to understand that I’m very protective of the people I care about.” He told her. “I don’t like to see them hurting. That being said I think we both know why I lashed out at you,” He told her while pointing in her direction, the hint of a frown on his face.

Chloe swallowed hard and nodded her chest tightening slightly. “I do, and you were right,” She told him quietly before straightening up slightly. “It was a selfish thing to do. I should have thought about it more and handled the situation better. I can’t change what I did, but I can change how I do things from here on out.” She told him before pausing to gather her thoughts.

“I never meant to hurt Tess, that wasn’t my intention. I made a mistake; I won’t be making the same one again.” She said softly.

Hal cocked his head to the side and arched an eyebrow in her direction. He hadn’t expected her to say that and it threw him. He expected her to be testy and angry and tell him she deserved an apology, but it was basically the exact opposite and he wasn’t sure what to do with that. It took him a minute to form a response and he gave her half a smile. “I appreciate you saying that. And I am sorry for the things I said…Since you seem to be close friends with my best friend and my girlfriend and it doesn’t look like I’ll be getting rid of you any time soon,” He joked, “Maybe we can start fresh. What do you say?”

Chloe let her body relax and she nodded a bright smile on her face. “I’d really like that. I think neither of us gave the greatest first impression, so I’m definitely up for a redo,” She said and Hal nodded, but before he could say anything there was a knock of the door and it was pushed open.

“Anybody home?” Oliver called as he made his way into the apartment. After he’d taken a shower, he’d pulled on jeans and a white t-shirt and he’d done his best to shake off the mood that had been plaguing him. He knew Hal was right and he shouldn’t just sit in his apartment or brood or beat up his punching bag without at least trying to talk to Chloe.

He was still annoyed with Tess because he knew she was up to something especially since she’d ignored his last text message, but he was going to let that go as well. He made his way into the living room and was surprised to see Hal and Chloe sitting by themselves. It looked like they had managed to have a conversation without killing one another and he took that as a good sign. 

“It’s nice to see both of you without any bloodshed,” Oliver teased. He patted Hal on the shoulder as he passed the chair he was sitting in and took a seat on the couch beside Chloe, careful to leave space between them just in case. “Hey,” he said lightly.

Chloe glanced at him surprised. “Oliver, hey,” She said lightly. “I didn’t realize you were going to be here,” She said and immediately regretted it.  What was wrong with her lately? She’d been trying so hard to respect his space. She didn’t want to crowd him or have him feel like he needed to pay her extra attention to her. There was so much gossip going around the office that she figured giving him some space would be a good idea.

Plus there was that little problem where every time she was in the same room as him she couldn’t help getting lost in his eyes and wondering what it would have been like if he followed through and kissed her in the café.  She shook herself out of her thoughts. “I just meant Tess didn’t mention it, that’s all,” She said with a small smile.

Hal sat on the chair watching them and rolled his eyes. This was seriously pathetic, he thought as he let out a light sigh.

Oliver ignored Hal’s sigh but made a mental note to punch him later. He seriously wasn’t helping. Oliver nodded at Chloe as he ran his hand through his hair that was still wet from the shower. “Yeah, Hal stopped by my place earlier and told me I should come over for dinner.” He knew how awkward he sounded and he wanted to slap himself. What was wrong with him? He was Oliver Queen.

He was supposed to be suave and charming or whatever. He definitely wasn’t supposed to be the guy who sputtered like a nervous teenager around a woman who he didn’t have a chance with. Not that it mattered since they were working together. Work, he could talk about work, Oliver realized.

“I’m sorry I had to leave the office early today. I had some stuff to take care of.” Like putting his fist through a bag hard enough to nearly break it, but Oliver didn’t want to tell Chloe that. “Did you find anything else in that file you were looking at?” he asked.

“Do not answer that question, Chloe,” Tess said as she made her way back into the living room. She was carrying a bottle of wine and a tray of glasses and she motioned for Hal to get up and help her. “I didn’t invite everyone over to talk about work of any kind,” she said pointedly. “We’re going to pretend we live in the normal people world for a few hours. That’s nonnegotiable,” she added as she looked at each of them sternly.

Hal smirked at Oliver, “You got yelled at,” He sing songed while getting up to help Tess. He placed a hand at her hip and pressed a kiss to the side of her head before taking the bottle of wine from her and the corkscrew on the tray. He arched an eyebrow at her. “What do normal people talk about?” He asked.

Chloe chuckled lightly and bit her lower lip. “As it happens I was going to ask the same thing.” She said before her eyes drifted to Oliver. “You don’t need to apologize for leaving early,” She said lightly, her voice quiet. “You are the boss, I’m pretty sure you’re allowed to leave whenever you want,” She told him, a small grin pulling at her lips.

“I have no idea what normal people talk about,” Tess admitted. She took the wine glass Hal poured for her and sat down on the arm of the chair he’d been sitting in earlier. “But I’m sure there’s more to life than work and I swear to God the first one of you who mocks me for saying that is getting stabbed,” she said as she looked between Hal and Oliver threateningly.   

“That one is too easy, Tess,” Oliver joked as he took the glass Hal handed him and passed it to Chloe before accepting the next glass from his friend. He took a sip of the wine and nodded approvingly. “This is from that vineyard we went to in Sonoma,” he commented.

He turned back to Chloe. “Hal met this wine owner on a business thing and he invited us out to his place for the weekend. Tess and I were skeptical because it was Hal’s recommendation and as you can imagine, the guy knows nothing about wine.” He smirked when his friend glared at him. Hal had actually saved the man from a carjacking as Green Lantern, but Hal Jordan had brought him to the hospital. “Anyway, the vineyard was beautiful and the wine is some of the best I’ve had outside of Italy. It was a good trip,” he said.

Chloe smiled. “It sounds like you guys had a nice time,” She said before poking him lightly. “And no mocking, it seems I have more in common with the pilot then I thought,” She eyed Hal appraisingly before leaning towards Oliver and whispering loud enough for Tess and Hal to hear. “I don’t know anything about wine either.” She said with a smile.

Hal frowned and pointed. “Who told Betty I was a pilot,” He asked his brows creasing.

Chloe took a sip of her wine before arching an eyebrow. “I told myself, though Tess mentioned it as well.” She said lightly.

He pointed and glanced at Tess. “She hacked me!” He said accusingly, but there was no real malice in his voice.

Tess shrugged as she took another sip of her wine. “You brought that on yourself when you verbally assaulted her. Besides, she’s on your side at the moment so you should just go with it,” she pointed out. She took another sip of wine and noticed that Chloe hadn’t bothered to move back to her original seat after she had leaned closer to Oliver. Tess smiled into her glass. This was going to be easier than she thought. “I’m sure Oliver would teach you about wine. He’s practically an encyclopedia on the subject,” she said.

“I have to live up to the alcoholic reputation I have in the tabloids,” Oliver joked. He leaned back against the couch feeling a lot more relaxed now that Chloe was closer to him. She wasn’t acting like she was upset with him and after her initial surprise, it seemed like she was happy that he was there.

Maybe he had been overreacting to things this week. He was about to say something else when he caught the smile on Tess’s face. Suddenly he knew exactly what she was up to. She was trying to set them up. Oliver rolled his eyes. He would talk to Tess later about why he couldn’t get involved with Chloe and why Tess needed to mind her own business.

Chloe shook her head. “Pass, I’d probably fall asleep learning about wine,” She said lightly, “No offense.” She lifted the glass to her lips taking another sip and she could practically feel the heat from Oliver’s body next to her. She’d meant to keep her distance, not wanting to invade his space, after al he’d made it pretty clean when he didn’t kiss her that he didn’t feel that way about her, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.

She shifted slightly giving him a little room before glancing up at Tess and smiling. “You have a nice place here,” She told the red head as she looked around again. “How long are you guys planning to stay in town,” She asked casually.

“Thank you,” Tess said. “Metropolis is one of the few places we travel where we don’t have to live out of a hotel. Not that I’m opposed, but it does get old after awhile,” she admitted. “You do realize that to answer that question I need to address work which means the topic is back on the table.” Tess sighed into her wine.

“I just want to point out the irony that people are always calling me a workaholic but I tried to change the subject.” She poked Hal in the stomach playfully and then smiled at Chloe so she would know she wasn’t upset. “I don’t know. We’re playing this one pretty close to the vest. But I think things are better at work.” She raised an eyebrow at Oliver.

He nodded, finishing off his wine and setting the glass down on the table. “Things have turned around considerably but we’re still going to have to find and train someone who can do the job on a permanent basis before we can leave again.” Oliver smiled at Chloe. “I guess you’re stuck with us for the considerable future. I hope you don’t mind,” he teased. He let his arm drop over the back of the couch, his fingertips lightly grazing her shoulder as he met her gaze. He couldn’t seem to stop himself from touching her no matter how many alarm bells went off in his head.

Chloe swallowed heavily at the light touch, her body growing warm and she wondered if it was because of him or the wine. She gave him a sideways glance and let out a dramatic sigh, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Damn, you mean I still have to see you every morning at work?” She rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. “Why are you trying to torture me?” She asked lightly as she glanced back at him a smile tugging at her lips.

Hal sat there and he tried not to let his mouth drop open as they flirted. He shifted his head, his lips brushing against Tess’s ear as he spoke quietly. “Are they always like this?” He asked her lightly.

“It seems that way, judging by those pictures I saw in the paper,” Tess replied. Her voice was quiet as well as she watched Oliver and Chloe. She’d known Oliver a long time and she’d seen him flirt with women before, but never like this. He wasn’t trying to hide who he was from Chloe and frankly, it was refreshing for Tess to see him that way.

She leaned closer to Hal as Oliver and Chloe continued joking about being “forced” to see one another at the office on a regular basis. “She likes him too. I wasn’t sure before I went into her office to talk to her today. She thinks his pouting is cute,” she whispered.

Hal had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He pressed a kiss against her cheek and spoke in a whisper against her skin. “I found him beating his punching bag to death earlier and moping because he thought she was avoiding him,” He told her amused. 

Tess turned her head into his shoulder to hide her own laughter. “I was wondering why he left the office early today. I thought maybe something team related came up.” She shook her head and took another sip of wine, glancing at Oliver and Chloe to make sure they were still distracted. She was pretty sure they’d forgotten there were other people in the room. She leaned over and pressed a light kiss to Hal’s lips. “Thank you for apologizing to Chloe. She’s not as horrible as you thought she was, is she?”

Hal rolled his eyes and glanced up at his girlfriend. “No gloating,” He said while dropping his hand to her lower back and rubbing it gently. “She’s okay, but this doesn’t mean I trust her.” He said pointedly, “But I’ll give her a chance,” He said softly. “That’s the best I can do he told her as he caught Tess’s eyes.

“I’ll save the gloating for when you get to that point,” Tess replied. She kissed him again and rested her head against his shoulder. She knew Hal was trying and that was good enough for her. She opened her mouth to say something when she heard the buzzer going off indicating the food was there. “Wow, that was fast,” she commented as she got to her feet. “I’ll go downstairs and get the food.” They were careful not to let delivery people into the building. They had too many things to hide and it was just easier that way.

“I’ll go with you. I need to sign the receipt,” Oliver said. He was off the couch and pulling Tess into the elevator before she had a chance to open her mouth. The second the doors were closed, he let go of her arm and glared at her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he demanded.

Tess rolled her eyes. “Don’t play dumb, Oliver, it’s beneath both of us.” She pressed the button for the lobby and folded her arms across her chest as she met his gaze. “You like Chloe. Chloe likes you. I don’t see what the problem is.” She looked at him expectantly.

Oliver sighed. “It’s complicated, Tess, you of all people should know that. I can’t get involved with her if she’s going to be part of the team. It wouldn’t be right.” He tried to ignore the excitement that had bloomed in his chest when Tess said that Chloe liked him. He wanted to ask Tess if Chloe had actually said those words to her, but he wasn’t a high school girl so he kept his mouth shut.

“That’s just an excuse you tell yourself,” Tess countered. “Hal and I are both on the team and we’ve been together for almost five years. No one ever said you had to be selfless, Oliver. I know you’re not used to being happy, but you have a chance here. I really think you need to take it and I’m not going to apologize for looking out for your well-being. Someone has to,” she added as the doors opened into the lobby.

“It’s not that simple,” Oliver replied. He gave the delivery guy a polite smile as he signed the receipt and accepted the bag of food. He knew Tess meant well, but he’d already made up his mind. It didn’t matter what he felt for Chloe. The team had to come first. He ignored the look Tess was giving him and pressed the button for her floor, not saying anything as the doors slid shut once again.

Chloe helped Hal grab the plates while Oliver and Tess went downstairs to grab the food and her chest tightened slightly as she placed the plates where Ha to her too. Oliver practically couldn’t get away from her fast enough. She tried not to let that get to her, but maybe she’d been right and she should just give him his space. She sighed as she put down the last plate and Hal arched an eyebrow as he made his way over with forks and knives.

“What’s the matter with you?” He asked and he put the utensils down and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

Chloe shrugged. “Nothing,” She said and gave him a small smile. She knew Hal was trying and so was she, but she wasn’t ready to explore her Oliver anxiety’s with his best friend of all people. The elevator chimed and Oliver and Tess made their way back into the apartment and over to the table.

Chloe took a seat and Hal took one opposite her saving the empty one near him for Tess. “Thank god I’m starving.”  He said lightly.

“Yes, you’re just wasting away. Did you eat all the leftover Chinese food?” Tess teased as she slipped into her chair beside him. She glanced at Chloe across the table and noticed that she didn’t look very happy. She sent an inquisitive look in Hal’s direction, but he was busy helping Oliver sort out the food containers.

Tess wondered what she had missed. She knew Hal couldn’t have said anything because he was too relaxed to have been fighting with Chloe while they were gone. She watched Oliver take the seat beside Chloe and lean toward her. Maybe he could figure it out.

Oliver set the container of chicken parmesan in front of Chloe. “I hope you don’t mind that I ordered for you. I know you like it and I figured I’d share my pasta with you.” That’s what they had done the night he’d had dinner at her apartment. When she didn’t look at him, Oliver reached over and touched her hand, letting his thumb brush against hers. “Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

Chloe glanced up pushing her thoughts aside and giving him a light smile. Maybe she’d just been imagining things and he was just hungry like Hal. “Yea, I’m alright. Thank you,” She said not moving her hand away from his. “The chicken looks good, and if you’re nice there’s a possibility I might share,” She told him lightly.

He grinned, happy to see that she wasn’t upset. “I’m always nice,” Oliver insisted. He watched her for a moment, his thumb absently moving against her hand and he came to a decision. He leaned over, lowering his voice even though it didn’t really matter if Tess and Hal heard what he had to say. “Chloe, after dinner, I want you to come up to my place. There’s something I need to talk to you about,” he said. It was time to tell her the truth about who he really was.

Her heartbeat sped up at the prospect of them being alone in his apartment. She swallowed heavily and ignored that though and instead focused on his words. Her brow creased slightly and she rested a hand on his thigh, concern in her voice as she spoke. “Is everything okay?” She asked a hint of worry in her voice as she squeezed his thigh lightly in a comforting gesture. What if he wanted to talk to her about how she’d been too clingy lately or how maybe it wasn’t a good idea for them to be friends? Her stomach clenched with uncertainty as she tried to read his expression.

“Yeah, everything is fine,” Oliver assured her. He laced his fingers through hers; oblivious to the fact that Hal and Tess were both watching them. “I want to tell you some things. There’s a part of my life that I don’t really share with anyone,” he said quietly as his eyes locked with hers. “But I want you to know about it. If that’s okay with you,” he added.

Oliver didn’t want to put any pressure on her. He was going to be asking her to keep a huge secret and while he knew she was more than trustworthy, he didn’t want to be a burden to her.

She squeezed his hand her heart warming slightly. He wanted to share something with her that he didn’t share with most people. The thought alone made her smile. He trusted her that much. “Of course it’s okay, you can tell me anything Ollie, you know that,” She said lightly as she ran her thumb unconsciously over his hand.

Hal arched an eyebrow, completely confused as to what was going on. He glanced at Tess curious if he was the only one seeing them. Did they not realize this was not friendly behavior?

Tess met Hal’s gaze and just shook her head. Oliver said he couldn’t be with Chloe but it seemed like he’d already forgotten his own words. She didn’t care what he said. There was no way Oliver was going to stay away from Chloe or vice versa and Tess knew the more time they spent together, the more likely they were going to find themselves in a relationship. She thought they should save themselves time and just admit they wanted to be together, but apparently they both were too stubborn to do anything the easy way. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention to her food.

Oliver smiled at Chloe and squeezed her hand again before finally shifting back in his seat to open his container of food. He hadn’t told her anything yet, but he already felt like a weight was being lifted off his shoulders. He knew Chloe would understand and she wasn’t going to judge him for who he really was. He was also confident that she’d want to join the team. It was going to be a relief to finally have everything out in the open between them.

Chloe let go of his hand so she could open her chicken and place a piece on her plate. She slid the other piece over to Oliver and bit her lower lip as she glanced at his pasta a hopeful expression on her face. “Sharing is caring?” She asked him as Hal snorted. Chloe glanced in his direction noticing that he and Tess were watching them.

She arched an eyebrow and smiled in their direction. “So what else do you guys do around here to entertain yourselves? Have you guys explored Metropolis yet? You’ve been here a while” She asked while unconsciously returning her hand to Oliver’s leg again.

“I’m not sure ‘entertain’ and ‘Metropolis’ go together,” Tess replied dryly. She set down her fork and reached for her wine. “We’ve gone out to dinner once or twice. That’s about it,” she said.

Oliver arched an eyebrow in Tess’s direction as he dished some of his pasta onto Chloe’s plate. “Just ignore Tess,” he said. “She’s not the social butterfly she pretends to be,” he teased. Oliver grinned when Tess glared at him. “Am I wrong?” he challenged. He knew Tess wasn’t a big fan of the nightclub scene and all the charity functions they had to attend for the company got old after awhile.

“We go out more when we’re in California than when we’re here,” Tess countered. She knew Oliver had a point, but she wasn’t going to admit it. She didn’t like when he got smug. She gave him another dirty look and then turned back to Chloe. “Honestly, I’m usually so tired after a day at the office that I don’t have the energy to do anything. But we should go out sometime…without these two to hold us back,” she added with a smirk.

Chloe chuckled and nodded her thanks at Oliver before addressing Tess. "Ditching the boys sounds like a good idea," she said sending a grin in Oliver's direction before mock whispering at Tess. "They seem sort of boring anyway," she joked.

"Though I'll be honest I don't go out as often as I probably should. If you want to have a good time we should let my cousin Lois drag us somewhere. It's definitely never boring when we're together," she told the other woman before stealing a piece of pasta that was at the edge of Oliver's dish.

Hal grunted and frowned. "I am not boring. Apparently you didn't do enough research Blondie." He tilted his head in Tess's direction while draping an arm over her seat and pulling some of his ravioli into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed. "Isn't that right Red?" He asked her with the hint of a pout on his lips.

“Boring is definitely not an adjective I would use to describe either one of you,” Tess agreed. She patted his leg before shooting a conspiratorial grin in Chloe’s direction. “Childish, arrogant, stubborn, constant need to be the center of attention…I realize that’s not an adjective, but that doesn’t make it any less true.”

Oliver rolled his eyes. “That’s very cute, Tess.” He shot a mock glare in Chloe’s direction. “Really, both of you are amusing. Maybe we should all just eat quietly so our childish arrogance doesn’t ruin your appetite.” 

Chloe gave Oliver a sideways glance, amusement on her face as she squeezed his thigh lightly. "Are you pouting," she asked humor in her voice. She liked seeing him like this, playful and relaxed. She turned to Tess not realizing that her thumb continued to move against his leg and motioned to Hal. "Does he pout too?" She joked.

She was really glad Tess had invited her over tonight. It wasn't nearly as tense as she thought it would be and she was actually having a really good time.

“I am not pouting,” Oliver said. He took another bite of his pasta and pointed his fork in his friend’s direction when he was done chewing. “But Hal pouts all the time. He’s the dramatic one. And you can’t take Tess’s word for anything,” he told Chloe matter-of-factly. “She always sides with Hal. They like to gang up on me.” He bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing when Tess and Hal both glared at him.

“Do you realize you’re pouting right now?” Tess asked. She rolled her eyes. “Yes, Hal pouts too but Oliver is the worst.” She did laugh when Oliver’s lips curved into a pout. The man didn’t even realize he did it half the time. It was a good thing Chloe thought it was cute. She glanced at the blonde as she took another bite of food and noted that she was looking at Oliver adoringly. It was a good thing Tess wanted both of them to be happy or their cuteness would destroy her appetite.

Chloe laughed. "She's right you know, you are pouting. What have I told you about that? It's unattractive when grown men pout," she teased before turning her gaze on Tess. "I believe it. He seems like he might be the dramatic type," she joke.

Hal chuckled as he ran his hand over Tess's shoulder. "Hm, having a fourth person around might actually be nice. Then all three of us can gang up on him," he said before snickering and sending a grin in his friends direction before pulling some more food into his mouth.

Chloe bit her lip to keep from laughing as she lifted her hand from Oliver's leg and brought her wine glass to her lips.

Oliver rolled his eyes at his friends. “This is the real reason I take long business trips. I need a break from all the amusement that surrounds me.” He turned to Chloe with a hurt look on his face. “You’re supposed to be on my side,” he reminded her. “But that’s fine. I’m used to being alone.” He shrugged, defeated, and turned his attention back to his plate.

Chloe frowned and nudged Oliver lightly. "Don't be a spoiled sport. Who said I was going to be on their side?" She asked while pulling a piece of chicken into her mouth and chewing as she watched him. "Do you really think I'd let you fend for yourself?" She asked slightly amused as she held the fork by her lips not bothering to notice Hal rolling his eyes across from them.

It was seriously ridiculous the way these two blatantly flirted with each other. He glanced at Tess and sighed as he took another sip of his drink.

“Good to know,” Oliver teased. He smiled at Chloe and decided he was going to ignore the looks Hal and Tess were shooting in their direction. He didn’t care what they thought. Chloe was his friend and they were just having fun. That was all there was to it.

They finished dinner a little while later and talked about random things as they cleared the plates from the table and put away the leftovers. Tess put the last plate in the dishwasher and turned the knob to start the machine. “Does anyone want more wine or anything?” she asked. She glanced at Oliver who was standing near the doorway. He’d fallen silent for the last part of the meal, but she had a feeling it was because he had something on his mind.

Oliver shook his head. “I’m going to pass on the wine.” He glanced at Chloe who was laughing at something Hal said. As dinner wore on, he’d started thinking about how he was going to tell her about his nighttime hobbies and he was getting anxious. “Chloe, are you ready to go?” he asked. Oliver turned back to Tess. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m stealing your guest.”

Tess raised an eyebrow at his serious tone, but she nodded. “That’s fine. I’ll have plenty of time in the future to turn her against you,” she teased.

Chloe looked away from Hal and nodded as she stood. She turned her gaze back on the man in front of her and smiled. "Well it was nice meeting you, for real this time," she said lightly as Hal stood.

He nodded and gave her a small smile. "Yeah, I'm glad Tess invited you over. And again like I said before, I'm sorry about the office." He told her sincerely. It turned out after spending a few hours with her he decided she wasn't so bad. Not that he trusted her or anything, but she wasn't as selfish and bitchy as he'd originally thought.

Chloe waved him off and shrugged, "It's no big deal. Water under the bridge," she told him lightly before moving in Tess direction. On impulse she leaned forward and hugged the other woman quickly. "Thanks for the dinner invite," she said as she pulled back and pointed at the red head. "And I was one hundred percent serious about you coming out with me and Lois. You're outnumbered by guys here. You need some girlfriends in your life." She teased.

“I do,” Tess agreed thoughtfully as she glanced sideways at Hal. “I spend way too much time with these two.” She winked at Hal and turned back to Chloe. “Thanks for coming to dinner. I’m glad we all got a chance to get to know each other better.” When Chloe turned to walk away, Tess nodded ever-so-slightly at Oliver. She had a feeling she knew what he was going to talk to Chloe about and she was glad everything would finally be out in the open.

Chloe glanced at Oliver her face softening as her heartbeat picked up speed. She had been waiting impatiently all night to find out what Oliver wanted to tell her. She couldn't help the way her stomach fluttered as she made her way over to him lightly running a hand down his arm. "I'm ready," she said softly with a small smile.

Oliver smiled at her and didn’t think twice about wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him as he glanced between Tess and Hal. “Thanks for inviting me over to pay for dinner,” he teased. “Have a good night,” he added before turning and steering Chloe toward the elevator.

He waited as she grabbed her purse and jacket from the chair and then he pushed the button for the penthouse. “Conveniently we only have to go up two floors,” he joked. Oliver decided he was going to ignore how awkward that joke was. There was no reason to be nervous. He trusted Chloe and she believed in the cause. She wasn’t going to run away from him when he told her everything. He really hoped not anyway.

The doors opened into the penthouse and Oliver motioned for Chloe to step out of the cage first. “Feel free to make yourself at home,” he said. “Can I get you anything?” He knew they’d just had dinner and she probably wasn’t thirsty, but he felt the need to make some kind of small talk before jumping into the rest of his life story.

Chloe glanced around letting her eyes wander over the furniture and decor of the apartment before moving forward and draping her jacket over one of the chairs. She placed her purse on top of it before turning in his direction and smiling warmly. "You've got a nice place," she said before shaking her head. "No, nothing for me, but thanks."

She watched him for a few minutes and she could see that he seemed slightly nervous, which in turn made her unsure, but she pushed it aside and moved forward taking his hands in her before speaking. "Ollie, whatever it is, I'm here. I know we haven't known each other long," she told him quietly while meeting his eyes.

"But you can tell me anything. And even though I don't know what you're going to tell me, I can't tell you how much it means that you're trusting me." She said softly while squeezing his hands lightly.

Chloe was beyond curious and she could hear the sound of her heart in her ears as anxiety filled her while she waited for him to start talking.

Oliver let go of one of her hands and brushed her hair back from her face, letting his hand rest on her cheek as he looked into her eyes. “I trust you with my life, Chloe,” he told her. It was the truth too or they wouldn’t be standing there about to have this conversation. Oliver knew Hal thought he was rushing things and maybe he was, but Oliver felt a connection to Chloe that he’d never felt with anyone else.

It was close to the connection he had with Hal and Tess, but it was different, stronger and he knew that didn’t make any sense, but it was how he felt. He watched her, not saying anything for a moment and once again he was overcome with the urge to kiss her. It would be so easy to lean down and brush his lips over hers and forget everything else. He considered it and reluctantly rejected the idea. He’d brought Chloe up here to tell her everything and that was what she was expecting.

He dropped his hand from her face and tugged on her other hand, pulling her with him toward the steps that led to his desk near the clock face. Oliver figured it would be a lot easier to just show her. “Chloe, I’ve told you before that I’ve known Tess for years, since I came back from being stranded on that island. But that’s not the whole story. Tess was actually there too.”

He told Chloe about how he’d been alone for so long and then he’d gotten poisoned and Tess had ended up saving his life only to watch her best friend die at the hands of drug dealers. “They knew who I was and they wanted to ransom me. The guy was going to shoot Tess and I stepped in front of the gun.”

Oliver swallowed hard as his mind brought him back to that moment. It had been the first time he’d ever done anything selfless in his life. He hadn’t thought twice about stepping between them and convincing the guy to keep Tess alive. She’d been so scared and traumatized by the loss of her friend and all Oliver had wanted to do was protect her.

He told Chloe the rest of the story; how they’d gotten off the island and how Tess had gone back to Star City with him because neither of them had anyone else to turn to. “What happened on that island made me realize that I wasn’t a good guy and I needed to change,” he said quietly. “Tess was the first person I ever saved but I didn’t want her to be the last.” He paused, needing a few seconds to pull himself together before he told her the rest.

Chloe rubbed his arms lightly seeing the emotion on his face and wanting nothing more than to comfort him and make the pain go away. She read about his return, but never did any actual research into his stint on the island because for once she hadn't wanted to take the chance that he'd get angry with her for snooping.

She didn't know why, but his opinion meant more to her than anyone's ever had. Even after the way that they'd met, he had come to her, gave her a job, a purpose. Even if she didn't talk about it often Lex firing her from the Planet had hurt a lot more than she let on. It was her dream, so much of her youth had been preparing for the day she'd be a reporter uncovering truth and dealing out justice. And then Lex had taken all that away with two words.

But Oliver, it was like everything that Lex had taken from her, he gave back and she would always be grateful that he gave her a chance and that he was trusting her now. Chloe shook herself out of her thoughts and moved closer to him. "I trust you too," she said softly, "with my life," she added as she met his eyes.

"I think you're a great man Oliver, we all have a past, but it doesn't define who we are in the future. And I think whatever mistakes you think you made, well they helped you get here right?" She said lightly with a small smile as her hands continued moving against his arms soothingly.

“Something like that,” Oliver said. He offered her a small smile as he fought the urge to kiss her. He didn’t know how he was going to get past his feelings for her, but he knew he needed to find a way. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and focus on the rest of the story.

“I started doing some recruiting not long after Tess and I got back to Star City. I told you before that I work with a team of people but I couldn’t tell you who they were. I checked with them and they’re okay with me telling you. It turns out you actually know a few of them. Small world,” he teased. Oliver could see that she had questions, but he didn’t want to get off track.

“You asked me once if I had anything to do with the explosions at Lex’s 33.1 facilities. I more or less dodged your question.” Oliver gave her a sheepish smile. “But I knew I’d tell you the truth when the time came and it’s time.” He took her hand again and led her off to the clock face. “I’m sure you came across a lot of references to certain vigilante crime fighters as the media likes to call them. That’s a pretty simple way of explaining what we do. I believe I promised you a state of the art system…”

He pushed open the doors to the equipment room, stepping back so Chloe could see all of the computers and other equipment on the other side of the door. His arrow gear was in the far corner of the room and he stepped to the side, giving her a chance to take everything in. “This is who I really am,” he said quietly.

Oliver was nervous as he waited for her reaction. He’d never really told anyone about his secret identity before. Tess and Hal had been there from the beginning and the rest of the team all had their own powers so hearing what he did in his spare time had been no big deal to any of them. But Chloe was different. It mattered to him what she thought of him and he really needed her to be okay with all of this.

Chloe's eyes went wide and she hesitated a second before stepping further into the room. Her eyes traveled along the computers and gadgets and she had to stop herself from moving towards them. She opened her mouth to ask him who it was she knew when her eyes caught sight of the bow and arrow towards the left of the room with a suit not far.

Her brows furrowed as she racked her brain trying to put everything together. References in video feeds and project notes referring to an 'Archer and his merry band of men'. And that's when it clicked. She'd heard about Star City's resident Vigilante, it was something she liked to keep track of.

Chloe whipped around eyes bright with a spark of excitement as she pointed at him. "You're Green Arrow," she said as she walked back towards him. "Is this why you were worried? You thought...I'd be upset?" She asked slightly unsure while tilting her head to the side and watching him closely. When he didn't say anything she hesitated before pressing a hand against his chest. "Do you have any idea how amazing I think you are?" She whispered softly.

Oliver placed his hand over hers, draping his other arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him as he let his hand rest on her lower back. “Really?” he asked quietly. Oliver didn’t do what he did to impress anyone; he did it to help people and to try and make the world a better place. But the way she was looking at him filled his chest with warmth and he realized just how desperate he’d been for her to react this way to his alter ego.

Chloe made sure she kept eye contact with him as she spoke. “Oliver…if it’s not enough that a good part of your company works with dozens of charities, or the fact that you’re genuinely a good hearted person, you go out and risk your life to save people…and you don’t take credit or do it for fame or money…you do it because you want to help,” She said swallowing hard as she reached up and cupped his cheek. “You’re a hero Ollie…” She said with a warm smile.

Everything finally made sense. The reason he let the tabloids paint him in such an unsavory way, why he was looking into Lex and 33.1. Oliver and who knew how many others were trying to take him down, not because they had to, but because they wanted to make the world a better place. She couldn’t help the flutter that filled her stomach as she gazed at him.

Chloe could feel the familiar urge to kiss him building inside of her. She wanted to show him how incredible she thought he was, how brave and selfless and just amazing, but she wasn’t sure how. She moved her body closer until she was practically right against him, one hand at his midsection the other sliding down his cheek to his neck.

“I respected you before this. What you were trying to do with the company, about Lex. How you helped me even though I don’t think you realize it, but now…” She paused, “Now I’m just in awe of this person you are. I’ve never met anyone like you, I’m pretty sure you’re one of a kind. Thank you…Thank you for trusting me with this. I’ll never say a word, I promise.” She said softly trying to convey how much it meant to her that he’d been honest and was willing to trust her with something so huge.

“Thank you for believing in me,” Oliver said. His voice was low as he brought his hand up to her cheek once again. He stepped closer to her as his hand on her back pushed her body against his. There was next to no space between them and his eyes drifted to her mouth. “Chloe.” Oliver was fighting an internal war with himself.

 All he wanted in that moment was to kiss her, to finally taste her and touch her the way he’d been craving. If he was reading her right, Oliver didn’t think she’d be opposed to taking that step. “Chloe, I…” He found himself leaning forward and he rested his forehead against hers as he swallowed hard to try and moisten his dry throat. Oliver closed his eyes for a second and knew he had to make a decision.

“I want you to join us,” he said. His chest tightened with regret, but Oliver pulled back just enough so he could meet her eyes. “I want you to be part of the team and I know it’s asking a lot of you, but I think you could be a major asset to us.” Oliver brushed his hand over her cheek, trying not to think about how soft her skin was under his fingertips.

“This job it requires sacrifice on all of our parts.” He held her gaze, desperate for her to understand what he was saying, why he couldn’t be with her the way he wanted to. “If something happened…I always have to do what’s best for the team,” he said.

Chloe caught the look in his eyes and realization dawned on her face. She hadn’t been imagining him almost kissing her. And if she was right it was pretty clear that he wanted to kiss her maybe even as bad as she wanted him to, but he wouldn’t. Not now and not if she agreed to be a part of his team. Her chest tightened and she looked down as her grip on him hardened. She’d never met anyone like Oliver before. He made her feel things she didn’t even understand, but all she’d ever wanted to do was be a part of something bigger. Help people; make sure what happened to her never happened to anyone else.

Would she be able to do that by Oliver’s side knowing that this was all they’d ever be? The thought made her eyes burn, but she knew the answer. Yes. If this was all she was going to get, she’d take it in a heartbeat. She pulled herself together before glancing up at him and giving him half a smile. “Do you even have to ask?” She said softly. “I’m here, one hundred percent, all in. You know that.” She told him even as her heart clenched. Would one kiss really be so bad? The thought ran through her head, but she immediately pushed it down.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Oliver replied. He told himself there was no reason to be disappointed. This was the outcome he had wanted. He smiled at Chloe and then forced himself to let go of her. She was part of the team now and he couldn’t keep doing this with her. They’d made their choice and they both needed to honor it no matter how much he wished things could be different. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and nodded his head in the direction of the couch. “Do you want to sit? I’m sure you have questions.”

Chloe did her best to keep the hurt off her face when he pulled away from her and instead of looking at him she turned her head back towards his secret room for a minute keeping her voice completely neutral as she spoke. “I do, like how did this happen? And you said I knew some of the members of your team? What is it that you want me to do? Because in case you haven’t noticed I’m not really the crime fighting type,” She said lightly as she turned back towards him and took the seat he’d offered.

There was no reason for her chest to be tight, or for her to feel slightly sick to her stomach. She made this choice. She couldn’t be a part of the team and have Oliver and she couldn’t be selfish and not be a part of the team just so she could have him. What kind of a person would that make her? Chloe placed her hands against her knees and met his eyes as she waited for his answers.

Oliver noticed the hint of tension in her body and felt guilty for putting it there. He thought about what Tess had said to him earlier about how she and Hal made it work. It was different for him though. He was the leader. He was supposed to keep everyone safe and he couldn’t do that if his focus was split.

“I want you to do what you’re already doing. I need you to research but on a much bigger scale. Members of the team travel all over the world and sometimes they might need someone to guide them through missions. Tess has done it on occasion but she is more valuable to me at Queen Industries. Sometimes I have to leave for weeks at a time for a mission and Tess runs everything in my place. I’d be lost without her,” he said.

“Hal is the Green Lantern. You may have heard of him. He’s not as great as me, but who is?” Oliver joked. “The other members of the team are Victor Stone, Arthur Curry and Bart Allen. I know all of them have passed through Smallville at one point and made your acquaintance. I can’t say I’m surprised, but how did you manage to meet all of them?” he asked. Oliver had asked the guys the same question and they had been evasive and said something about circumstances and the right place and the right time. AC had gone on a date with Lois, but Oliver felt like there was another piece of the puzzle he was missing.

Chloe opened her mouth and then closed it while shrugging. “You know how these things work…Right place, right time.” She told him, guilt building in her chest at the lie. “I’ve been looking into Lex for a long time. Victor escaped from one of Lex’s labs, and when he was taken back and hurt, we got him out, patched him up and sent him off with his girlfriend.” She told him before catching his eyes. “AC saved my cousin’s life when she hit her head diving into a lake that we all went to during the summer and then he was also taken into one of Lex’s labs, but we got him out.” She told Oliver carefully.

Chloe let out a short breath before a fond smile crossed her lips. “And I met Bart in the Talon; you know the coffee shop beneath where I live?” She asked, “He hit one me…ran faster than anything I’ve ever seen,” including Clark she added silently, “And brought me wild flowers.” She told him lightly, smiling at the memory. At least she was able to be honest about that much and it wasn’t like she’d lied about Victor or AC, she just left Clark out of it.

Oliver nodded, but didn’t say anything right away. She wasn’t telling him the whole story. He supposed she had her reasons and he was going to have to accept it, but he didn’t like it. “Well it made things easier that all the guys knew you already. You can imagine how protective everyone is of their secrets.” He found himself wanting to reach out and touch her face or at least move closer to her on the couch, but he knew he couldn’t do that.

He had to stop sending her mixed signals. So Oliver just smiled at her and got to his feet, needing to do something with his nervous energy. “I’m sure between this and dinner, you’re probably anxious to get out of here and process everything.” Against his better judgment, Oliver held his hand out to her to help her up. “I’m happy you said yes, Chloe.”

Chloe swallowed hard at his words and nodded taking his hand as she stood, a spark going through her entire body at his touch. She met his eyes not letting go of his hand as she spoke. “Thank you for asking and for being honest with me,” She said, her voice low as she bit her bottom lip, her gaze never wavering from his.

“I trust you,” Oliver replied. He held her hand as he watched her for a moment. It would be so easy to tug her into his arms and never let go. But he knew it was a bad idea no matter how much he wanted her. “I can walk you out to your car,” he offered as he reached for her jacket and held it out so he could help her put it in. Oliver knew he wasn’t going to be able to hold back much longer but it was like he couldn’t stop himself from finding new excuses to touch her.

Chloe let him help her before turning so she was facing him and buttoning it up. She shook her head. “No, it’s alright I can get there alright alone,” She said knowing as happy as she was that he’d asked her to join the team, things between them were going to be different once she left and that was the last thing she wanted. Her heart clenched as she sent one more look in his direction. “Have a good night Oliver.” She said as she pulled her purse over her shoulder.

Oliver nodded. He knew she was putting distance between them on purpose and he had no choice but to let her. It was his own fault for letting things get this far out of hand. “You too, Chloe,” he said. “I’ll see you at the office.” He fought the urge to go after her as he watched her walk to the elevator. This was what was best for the team. They needed to work together and anything else would just be selfish.

Chloe waited until the gate was closed and she was out of site to lean against the back of the elevator as she closed her eyes and tried not to think about what had just happened. It sounded silly, but she already felt like there was this huge distance between them and all she wanted to do was stop the elevator and go back inside his apartment. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t be that selfish. She wanted to help him…help the team, to be a part of something larger than herself and if this was the only way, then she had no choice. A tear slid down her cheek and she wiped it away quickly telling herself this was for the best, it never would have worked anyway.


	10. Chapter 10

Oliver stood on the rooftop of a luxury apartment building, surveying the quiet street below him. He’d been patrolling since the sun had gone down on another day and instead of helping his mood, it was only making him angrier. The police scanner he had attached to his utility belt had alerted him to a robbery in progress at the bank across the street but when he’d gotten there, he’d found the robber tied to a bench out front and the grateful security guard talking about the man who had sped in and out in a blur. Oliver knew about Metropolis’ personal vigilante from his research, but he didn’t understand how the guy seemed to be twelve steps ahead of him and Hal all night. No matter how fast they got to a crime scene, the Blur had already been there to save the day.

It wasn’t that Oliver was against the help. Metropolis was a crime-ridden place and he was glad there was someone looking out for the city full-time. But he knew next to nothing about this guy, assuming he was an actual guy, and that bothered him. He’d been around for a few years and he’d never revealed his identity, so he probably wasn’t a glory hound.

He got the job done and that was a good thing, but Oliver still wanted to talk to him and feel him out for himself. But he was going to have to catch him first and that was proving to be a problem. Apparently the guy had speed that could rival Bart. It was the only explanation on how he was managing to beat Oliver and Hal to every single crime the scanner reported. 

He heard the dispatcher issue an alert for a carjacking in progress and waited to hear the location. It was about a block away from where Hal had last checked in, so Oliver ignored it, figuring Hal would take care of it unless of course the mysterious Blur beat him to it again. Oliver scowled.

He really shouldn’t be so aggravated about having help. The important part was stopping the crime. Sighing, he pulled off his glasses and rubbed his head to try and stop the massive migraine that was brewing. He knew the Blur saving the day wasn’t what was really bothering him. 

It had been a week since he’d told Chloe his secret. While she was fully onboard with the team and eager to help, things were awkward between them. Oliver felt like she was going out of her way to avoid being alone with him and maybe he was doing the same. He was careful not to touch her or stand too close to her and he tried to keep their conversations limited to neutral topics.

The last thing he wanted was for her to know that he couldn’t stop thinking about her or dreaming about her or imagining what it would be like to have her in his bed writhing beneath him. He definitely couldn’t let her in on that last one.

Oliver slipped his glasses back on just as he heard a sound in the sky. He glanced up to see Hal flying toward him. “Let me guess, the Blur strikes again,” he commented dryly as he waited for Hal to land beside him.

Hal grunted and landed in front of Oliver frown on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest. His best friend had been in a particularly bad mood for the past week and he thought a little patrolling might help to get Oliver’s mind of things or more specifically one thing. Chloe Sullivan. But patrol only seemed to be making him more frustrated. Hal shook himself out of his thoughts and nodded. “Yeah, I don’t know what the deal with this guy is, but it’s getting to be a pain in the ass man.” He said a hint of frustration on his voice. It was obviously good to have someone else out there fighting crime, but jeez at least have the decency to leave a criminal or two behind for the other heroes in town.

“Well this is pointless,” Oliver muttered. He crossed his arms over his chest and scowled as he looked down on the street once again. There was no point in continuing to patrol if they were just going to keep coming up empty. “Maybe we should just pack it in and go home. I’m sure the Blur can handle things on his own.” He’d just go back to his place and take his frustrations out on his punching bag. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d done that in the past week and if things kept going this way, Oliver knew it wouldn’t be the last.

Hal sighed, “Come on man why don’t we give it a little longer?” He asked. “Fifteen more minutes, who knows maybe we’ll get lucky,” He said with half a smile. He really didn’t want Oliver spending anymore time alone than he had been lately. It was only going to make things worse. He was just open to open his mouth and suggest that they go try down by the docks when Hal heard a scuffling by the ally that was near the building they were standing on.

He moved over towards the edge of the building right as a man appeared out of nowhere and knocked the man holding a purse into the wall. Hal ducked his head slightly. “Oliver look, I think I see the Blur,” He hissed and motioned for his friend to move over where he was.

Oliver had been about to decline Hal’s offer to stay, but as soon as he heard his friend’s words, he hurried over to the edge of the rooftop. He saw the red and blue blur as he handed the woman her purse and sped her off to safety before returning to deal with the attempted-mugger. “We need to get down there.” He didn’t wait for Hal to reply.

He fired an arrow across the alley to a steel rod on top of the store across the street and tugged on the zip line to test its resistance. He slid down the line, landing in a barrel roll on the street below. He got to his feet and jogged around the corner just in time to see a dark-haired man tethering the thief to a telephone pole. “Nice work,” he called, speaking through his voice distorter.

Clark had been finishing up his nightly patrol when he saw the kid that was currently tided the pole beside him stealing a woman’s purse. The woman was fine and it had only taken a few seconds to disarm the thief. When he heard the distorted voice behind him, Clark whipped around and paused frown on his face as his eyes roamed over the man in green leather. He arched an eyebrow in the other man’s direction before crossing his arms over his chest and straightening up.

He didn’t like knowing there was someone running around his city dressed in a costume that he didn’t know. His gaze hardened. “Who are you?” He asked right as Hal drifted down next to Oliver.

Hal took in the man in front of them and arched an eyebrow. He had to be in his early twenties and if he was weirded out by the fact that Hal could fly he certainly wasn’t saying anything, but Hal had a feeling that wasn’t the case at all.

“I could ask you the same question,” Oliver replied. He wasn’t sure what to make of the fact that the guy didn’t bother wearing a mask or glasses or anything to hide his identity. Oliver could see that he was fast and he understood where the Blur nickname came from, but even Bart wore his dark glasses when he was out on patrol. Oliver glanced at the casual clothes the guy was wearing. He just looked like a regular guy, but he was obviously more than that. “We’ve seen the way you’ve been cleaning up crime all night. It’s impressive, but there’s no reason for you to work alone. We’re here to help,” he said.

Clark arched an eyebrow as he glanced between the two men covered from head to toe in weird outfits. They were obviously protecting their identities, something that Clark didn’t really bother doing because usually he wasn’t around long enough for anyone to see him. He knew there were other people out there with powers; he had met quite a few of them over the years, but he didn’t know who either of these men were.

He wasn’t about to just trust two random people off the street. For all he knew they could be saying they want to help just so they could figure out who he was and try to come after the people he cared about. Clark wasn’t taking any chances. He gave the men a tight smile. “That’s appreciated, but I’ve got Metropolis covered.” He said quickly, wanting to get this conversation over with so he could head back to Smallville and see if Lois was free.

Oliver glanced at Hal before turning back to the Blur. He held up his hands in front of him. “Look man, we’re not trying to encroach on your territory or anything. But we’re all on the same side and I think we should help each other out.” He could see the guy wasn’t interested in what he had to say and Oliver tried to reign in his temper. Most of the team had been reluctant at first and they’d all needed a little convincing. He had no problem doing the same thing for this guy. “Maybe the three of us can go somewhere a little less public to talk about this,” he suggested.

Clark’s frown deepened. He wasn’t interested in whatever this guy was offering. It was bad enough he was standing there looking right at him. When he got back to the farm he was going to have to text Chloe and see if maybe she could find out if there are any known vigilantes in town, but until he had her do some research there was no way he was about to trust two strangers with his identity.

“No thanks, look I’m sure you mean well with whatever you’re trying to do here, but I’ve got to go and the two of your should  head in too. I’m not interested in working with anyone.” He said while eyeing them, trying to take a mental picture so he could describe them to Chloe later.

“Why not?” Oliver asked. He was starting to get irritated with this guy. “What’s so appealing about working alone? No offense, man, it’s great that you can take down muggers and carjackers and robbers in a single bound or whatever, but what about the real corruption in this city?” He watched the other man carefully, wanting to see his reaction. So far he was just looking at them like they were annoying him as much as the mugger he’d tied up. Oliver was not amused.

“Why haven’t you done anything to stop Lex Luthor?” he asked. “You know about Lex, right? He’s worse than all the petty criminals in this city put together. He likes to experiment on people and he has no problem disposing of them when he’s done. Do you really think you can stop him on your own or would you like to take a few minutes and listen to what we have to say?”

Clark’s entire body tensed and he took a step forward the look on his face even less happy then he’d been seconds before. “I don’t know who you are, either of you, or what you know about Lex, but stay away from me and my city.” He said his voice harsh. There were very few people who knew about Lex and the things he’d done in the past and obviously this guy was one of those people…but how?

Clark wasn’t interested in standing around and waiting to find out.  He needed to talk to Chloe and Lois. He needed to find out who these guys were before he said anything else. The last thing he needed was them knowing he had a personal connection to Lex. If they found that out they’d know who he was in no time.

“That seemed to get your attention,” Oliver commented. He took in the stiff posture and the clear warning on the other man’s face. “Like I said before, we’re not trying to take over but we can help you. Or maybe you can help us. We know about Lex; we know the kind of sick freak that he is. I know we caught you off guard tonight and that wasn’t our intention.”

He struggled with his temper, doing his best not to be sarcastic or let this guy know that he thought he was a jackass. None of that would matter if he agreed to help them. “Maybe we should start again,” he suggested. Oliver stepped forward and held out his gloved hand. “We just want to talk.”

Clark glanced at the man’s hand and shook his head again his jaw clenching. “Not interested.” He said firmly before shifting towards the thief making sure he was still unconscious. He turned back to the men in front of him and arched an eyebrow. He’d already been standing there too long, they knew what he looked like. It was time to get out of there. “You want to help?” He asked, “Call the police,” he said before disappearing and leaving nothing but a gust of wind behind him.

Hal sighed and pursed his lips. Well that hadn’t gone well. He could see the anger on his friends face and he glanced up and shook his head. He hadn’t thought it was possible for Oliver to get any angrier, but apparently he was wrong. He patted Oliver lightly on the back. “Just forget it man that guys an ass.”

“What the hell is his problem?” Oliver demanded. He couldn’t believe he had just sped off after telling them to call the police like they were his servants or something. He was just trying to help the guy and he couldn’t be bothered to give him a few minutes of his time to listen? He scowled as he reached into his belt again and pulled out the secure cell phone he used for patrolling.

He typed in the location and shoved it back into the pouch. Nothing about this night was going well, but that seemed to be the story of his life lately. His chest tightened when his mind drifted to Chloe. He missed her. Oliver knew it was stupid because he still saw her nearly every day and they talked all the time, but it wasn’t the same. 

He turned away from the unconscious thief and yanked off his glasses again. He rubbed his hand over his face and he could see Hal watching him with concern out of the corner of his eye. “What?” he asked. It was obvious Hal had something to say to him. He wished he would just get on with it already so he could go home.

Hal shrugged. “Nothing,” he paused, “I’m just worried about you that’s all.” He said lightly. “Maybe you need a break…You’ve been working hard lately, burning the candle at both ends. I know there’s a lot going on and still a lot of stuff we have to do, but maybe we should go out…have a little fun,” He said before hesitating, “Release some of that built up tension.” He told his friend casually.

He knew his friend was more than a little upset over the Chloe situation, so maybe if he could take him out help him find something or someone to get his mind off the blonde things would get a little better.

“I’m fine,” Oliver insisted. He knew what Hal was suggesting but Oliver didn’t think getting drunk and sleeping with some nameless random woman was going to take his mind off Chloe. He knew they weren’t together and they were never going to be together, but Oliver still wasn’t going to do that to her. If the tabloids got wind of him with another woman, they would be all over it and the news would get back to Chloe and it would hurt her. That was the last thing Oliver wanted. 

“Look, we should get out of here. The cops will be here soon and you should get home to your girlfriend. I’ve got stuff to do back at the penthouse,” he said as he slipped his glasses back on.

Hal frowned. “You know who you’re talking to right?” he asked while shifting and hovering slightly above the ground. “You’re never going to get over her if you don’t try. You need a distraction. There’s nothing wrong with that,” He told his friend knowing that if Tess knew he was telling Oliver this she’d probably kill him, but he respected his friend’s decision.

If he wasn’t going to be with Chloe then he needed to get over her, once and for all so it wasn’t weird later on. “I’m just saying its okay to go out that’s all,” He said softly knowing he was pushing his luck.

Oliver sighed. “I am going out. There’s a charity dinner tomorrow night.” He knew that wasn’t the kind of thing Hal was talking about, but he hoped the fact that he was leaving his apartment for something other than work would be enough to appease his friend. Oliver wasn’t really looking forward to the event at the local museum in the slightest, but his parents had always donated to the cause and he’d kept up the tradition.

Oliver knew he had to put in an appearance and odds were Lex would be there too. He hadn’t seen Lex since the day he’d found him at the café with Chloe and he knew this time they’d have to put on the fake smiles and pretend they didn’t want to kill each other. 

“Actually, I need a plus one if you’re interested,” Oliver said. He had an extra ticket and he’d planned on asking Chloe, but he didn’t think that was a good idea. He knew he could easily find a date, but that would just start rumors and contrary to what Hal thought was best for him, Oliver wasn’t ready to get over Chloe just yet. He knew he had to and he would eventually, but for now he just wanted to be alone and miserable and he really wished his best friend would respect that.

Hal rolled his eyes. “That’s not what I meant and you know it, but fine. If you want to sit around your apartment like a petulant child and mope, be my guest.” he said with a sigh before shrugging. “I’ll have to ask my girlfriend if she minds me being your date, so I’ll have to get back to you on that,” He joked trying to ease the tension around them. “I guess we’re heading home now?” He asked as he glanced around the empty street.

“Yeah,” Oliver said. He started to walk away and then glanced back at his friend. “I know I’m being a dick right now, but I need you to let me handle this my way.” He knew Hal didn’t understand what he felt for Chloe. _Oliver_ didn’t really understand why his feelings were so strong for a woman he had only known for a short amount of time. But they were and he needed to deal with them on his own. He lifted his hand to wave at Hal. “I’ll see you later,” he called before turning again and making his way back to the alley where he’d left his bike.

 

______

 

Chloe stood in the small elevator next to her cousin, eyes staring straight ahead at the closed doors. It was a little after eight thirty and she and Lois were meeting up with Tess for a girl’s night out. Her cousin of course had chosen the Ace of Clubs as their destination and they were currently on their way up now. She knew this whole thing was her idea, but Chloe just wasn’t feeling up to it at the moment and the only reason she was there was because Lois had given her a hard time about canceling at the last minute.

They’d argued for nearly a half hour before Chloe caved. She could hear her cousin talking next to her, but she wasn’t paying attention to her words. Her mind was too busy wandering with thoughts of a certain blonde billionaire. She bit her lower lip as her brows creased as she thought about the past week.

Chloe had been going out of her way to interact with Oliver on nothing but Queen Industries or League business. She emailed him whenever it wasn’t absolutely necessary to see him, she made sure when they were in the same room together that they were never within five feet of each other and she tried to make sure they were never alone. It was hard and annoying and nine times out of ten when she saw him she got the strongest urge to either cry or jump on him, lock her office door and make him ravage her on her desk.

Chloe really wasn’t sure which thought was worse. What she did know was that she missed him desperately. She missed his smug grin and the warm look in his eyes and the way smelt and how he always managed to find little ways to touch her when she was around. She still didn’t understand how it was possible to miss something she never had. But she did.

The sound of the elevator’s chiming knocked her from her thoughts and as the doors slid open revealing the loud darkened club she let out a small sigh. She really didn’t want to be here.

“The place seems busy tonight,” Lois commented, trying to keep her tone cheerful as they made their way inside. She gave the hostess her name and the woman nodded and motioned for them to follow her toward the tables. Lois glanced back at her cousin and saw that Chloe wasn’t even attempting to hide the fact that she wasn’t happy to be there. Lois wasn’t sure what happened, but she knew it had something to do with Oliver Queen.

Her cousin’s mood had taken a nosedive and she had gone from loving her new job to looking like she’d rather go to a funeral than leave for work each morning. Lois had asked her repeatedly what was wrong and Chloe had told her she was fine which they both knew was a blatant lie.

They slid into opposite sides of the booth and Lois ordered a pitcher of margaritas for the table and suggested the waitress keep them coming. She had insisted they take a cab from Smallville so neither one of them had to worry about being the designated driver. She was hoping if she plied her cousin with enough liquor that Chloe might actually tell her what was wrong and she could attempt to fix it. “So where is this Tess woman that I’ve heard so much about?” she asked.

Chloe glanced around the room and shrugged. “I’m sure she’ll be here soon. I think you’ll like her though,” She said lightly as she once again let her eyes wander around the room. She wondered what Oliver was doing right now. She was pretty sure she’d seen something on his schedule about a charity event. The thought that he might be taking a date with him to keep up appearances made her heart clench.

Chloe took a deep breath and tried to relax her body. She needed to stop this ridiculous behavior. She’d made her choice and she needed to stop acting like this wasn’t her fault. She knew Lois could tell she was upset, but what exactly was she supposed to say about that? Chloe needed to try to have some fun or at the very least fake it.

“I’m sure I will,” Lois agreed. Chloe had nothing but good things to say about Tess and Lois had to respect the woman for the way she’d bounced back after finding out she was related to Lex. She’d been a friend to Chloe and that was good enough for Lois. The waitress arrived with the pitcher and Lois immediately poured Chloe a large glass and pushed it across the table to her cousin.

“You look like you need this.” She poured herself a drink as she watched Chloe carefully. She looked defeated and Lois didn’t get it. As far as she knew, nothing had happened between Chloe and Oliver so she wasn’t sure why her cousin was acting like he’d broken up with her. “Chlo, would you please talk to me? What happened?” she asked. 

Chloe glanced at Lois straightening up slightly as she brought her drink to her lips and took a long sip, wincing slightly as the alcohol burned her throat. It was strong and she wasn’t really that big of an alcohol drinker at least not lately. She shrugged.

“Nothing Lois, I told you, just leave it alone okay? I’m fine. We came here to have a good time so why don’t we do that?” She asked lightly. “How are things going with you and Clark?” She asked in an effort to bring the conversation away from her. She really hoped Tess got here soon so she could further distract her cousin from her love life or lack of one. 

“Clark and I are fine,” Lois replied. Clark was actually on a tear about some vigilantes he’d run into when he’d been patrolling the night before. He’d stopped by their apartment to talk to Chloe but she’d been in the shower and Lois had told him that it wasn’t really the best time to talk to her given her mood the past few days.

Clark hadn’t been thrilled with her response, but he’d left instead of arguing with her. Lois knew he was probably still mad at her, but he couldn’t be too mad because he’d agreed to cover the museum benefit in her place so she could go out with Chloe and Tess. Lois didn’t really want to get into any of that with Chloe though. Her cousin obviously had something on her mind and it would be too easy for her to get distracted researching the new heroes in town instead of dealing with her problems. “He’s actually working tonight as a reporter,” she added pointedly.

Before Chloe had a chance to respond, Tess appeared at their table. “Sorry I’m late,” she apologized as she slid into the booth beside Chloe. She held out her hand to Lois. “Tess Mercer. Chloe’s told me a lot about you.”

“Lois Lane and she’s told me a lot about you too,” Lois replied. She’d seen pictures of Tess in the business section and she was pleased to see that the cool exterior she usually projected was nowhere to be found. “Did you have a hard time getting away?” she asked.

Tess nodded as she shrugged off her jacket. “Hal was having issues with his tux.” She rolled her eyes as she sent Lois a grateful smile for the drink she handed her. “You would think after all these years he’d be able to tie his tie straight but apparently not.”

Chloe blinked and glanced at Tess giving the red head a small smile before taking another sip of her drink. “Hey Tess. So why is Hal getting all dressed up?” She asked, “He doesn’t really seem like the tux type to me.” She told her friend lightly while glancing between the two women near her.

“Believe me, he’s not,” Tess said as she took a small sip of her drink. “Getting Hal to dress up is like pulling teeth. Actually, I think he’d prefer to lose teeth. But he’s Oliver’s date for the charity benefit at the museum and it’s a black tie event,” she explained. The better term was babysitter, but she wasn’t about to tell Chloe that.

She also wasn’t going to tell her about the argument she’d had with her boyfriend over what they thought was best for Oliver. Tess had won in the end and Hal had promised her that he wouldn’t let Oliver drink too much or flirt with any strange women. Tess knew Hal wasn’t happy about the agreement, but she also knew he wouldn’t go back on his word. She knew sooner or later Oliver and Chloe would get their act together and she wanted to make sure there weren’t any additional obstacles in their way.

“Oh, I was just telling Chloe that Clark is covering that event for the Planet,” Lois commented. She watched her cousin, wanting to see her reaction to Oliver’s name.

Chloe pursed her lips, her body tensing slight as she brought the glass to her lips again. So she’d been right. She couldn’t help the relief that filled her at knowing Hal was going with him and not a real date. She nodded in Tess’s direction keeping her voice neutral as she spoke. “Oh, well that was nice of Hal.” She said as she tried to get the image of Oliver in a tux out of her mind.

She shook her head and glanced at Tess. “Aside from dressing your boyfriend, how has your day been?” She asked conversationally even thought her gaze was already drifting as her thoughts wandered.

“Not bad,” Tess replied. “Oliver and I spent most of the morning on the phone with Scott, the VP from New York who is afraid of Oliver, and it looks like things have finally been straightened out in that office so maybe he’ll stop calling me a hundred times a day.” She kept her tone conversational, but she was purposely bringing up Oliver as much as possible.

She’d done the same thing with Chloe’s name when she’d been locked in an office with Oliver for hours and Tess had a feeling she should be grateful that Oliver was not the type of man to hit a woman. He’d basically stormed out after their last conference call, muttering to himself that people needed to mind their own business. Tess had considered the morning a success.

Lois smirked into her glass as she took another long drink. It seemed like she’d been right all along about Chloe’s mood having something to do with Oliver. It also seemed like Tess wanted to push the issue and that made Lois like her immediately. “So you’ve known Oliver a long time,” she commented. “Do you think you can convince him to let me interview him? His assistant isn’t returning my calls and my cousin has been less than helpful despite how close the two of them are.” She sent an innocent smile in Chloe’s direction, baiting her.

Chloe glared at the women next to her as her hand tightened on her glass. “I thought this was supposed to be a girl’s night out? If we’re just going to talk about work and Oliver I might as well have just stayed at the office,” She snapped before bringing the glass to her lips and taking a sip. She knew they both meant well but they weren’t helping the situation any. It wasn’t like this is how she wanted things to be.

But Oliver had given her a choice, him or the team. She had to respect his rules and she made her choice. She was tired of people trying to push her. All she wanted was once night without having to think about Oliver and what felt like the gaping hole in her chest. Was that so much to ask?

Tess winced. She felt bad for pushing Chloe. It was one thing for her to do it to Oliver, but she knew Chloe was just going along with what he wanted. It was a stupid choice on  _both_  their parts, but it wasn’t Chloe’s fault that Oliver was being so stubborn about this. Tess took another sip of her drink and smiled at Lois. “I read your article in the Planet about Dominic Salazar. It was well done and it was nice to read an actual piece of news for a change,” she commented. It was a disgrace what Lex was doing to that paper. Tess wasn’t sure if he was trying to run it into the ground or if he was just so arrogant that he thought it would still be a respected paper no matter what he put on the front page.

“Thank you,” Lois said. She glanced at Chloe, feeling guilty for pushing her cousin. Lois didn’t know the whole story and maybe Chloe really did just need a night out that wasn’t about Oliver and whatever it was that had or hadn’t happened between them. She turned back to Tess. “It was a challenge to get it published but given Salazar’s connection to Metropolis, Lex really didn’t have a choice in the matter since everyone was talking about it,” she said smugly.

Dominic Salazar was one of the biggest names on the black market. He dealt exclusively in artwork, paintings mostly, and he had been doing business with several of Metropolis’ wealthiest citizens. Chloe had found a paper trail between Salazar and several of the people who had donated to the South American relief effort that Lois had written her previous article on; the one Lex had refused to print. Lex’s name was not amongst the ones Chloe was able to prove were doing business with Salazar, but what she had found had been enough for Interpol to take Salazar into custody. The names of his associates became public knowledge and Lois had pointed that out to Lex when she’d handed him her story.

“Lex knew that if he told me he wouldn’t publish it that I would have no problem taking it somewhere else and it would make him look guilty by association. Of course we all know he’s guilty, but once again he slithers on.” Lois rolled her eyes. It was disgusting how much that man got away with. “But at least he’s down one contact on the black market and I’m sure the article hurts his credibility with his other associates.” She grinned at the thought as she met her cousin’s eyes once again. “You did really good on this one, Chlo.”

Chloe gave her cousin a tight smile and leaned back in the plush seats in an attempt to get the tension to leave her body. "Thanks, I'm still angry at the fact that I couldn't connect Lex to anything solid, but we'll get there." She said lightly while taking another long sip of her Margarita to try and relax.  
  
She probably shouldn't have snapped at them, but she was tired of everyone trying to butt in where they didn't belong. Oliver said this is what was best for the team. And after talking with the guys through video conferencing and getting a very warm welcome, the last thing she wanted to do was disappoint anyone or cause trouble among the team.  
  
Chloe shook herself out of her thoughts and glanced between her cousin and Tess. "Enough about Lex and work," she said lightly trying for a smile. "We came here to have a good time which means those two topics are off the agenda." She told them sternly know that both topics lead directly back to Oliver and what she wanted more than anything was a night where she didn't have to think about how much it hurt that Oliver wasn't around the way he used to be, even if that was mostly her fault for putting distance between them.  
  
"How are things going Tess? Missing California yet? I'm sure Hal is...with the flying?" She asked trying to start a neutral conversation.

“I miss it sometimes,” Tess said. “Mostly when I forget to wear a jacket and the temperature drops twelve degrees in fifteen minutes.” She had never been a fan of cold climates. “Hal misses it a lot even though he won’t admit it.” She knew he got bored sitting around all day even though he tried to keep himself busy with patrols and he had left the state a few times to help the guys on missions but it still wasn’t enough.

She glanced at Lois. “I’m guessing you know my unique situation. It’s okay if you do,” she added quickly. She didn’t want Chloe to think she was upset with her for telling her cousin. But Tess knew the two were close and there was a good chance Chloe had told Lois about the information she’d found before they’d met. 

Lois nodded. “I do. But you have my word that I would never tell anyone. I might be a reporter, but I know how to keep a secret,” she assured her. She’d been wondering if that would come up once the conversation had drifted to Lex. She glanced at Chloe and saw that her cousin had a far off look in her eye. She was probably thinking about Oliver again.

Tess gave Lois a tight smile. “That’s the reason Hal is here with me. I travel on business a lot and this isn’t the first time I’ve stayed in one location for a few months. But he’s worried about me so he took leave from work.” She took another sip of her drink as the familiar guilt welled in her chest. Tess knew even if she told him to go back to California, he wouldn’t. Selfishly, she was glad because she knew she’d still be in Metropolis for the foreseeable future and she wanted him by her side. There were still nights when she couldn’t sleep because she couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that she had blood ties to some of the worst people she’d ever known.

Chloe heard Tess and Lois talking as she finished off her margarita and decided she wouldn't be having another one until she got some food in her system. She couldn't remember the last time she ate today. Chloe shook herself out of her thoughts yet again and cleared her throat to get their attention.  
  
"You know I just realized I don't remember the last time I ate, would you guys mind he we ordered some food?" She asked lightly and gave them a small smile. "Wouldn't want the Margarita to go to my head." She joked even though she was feeling slightly warm. She never was much of a drinker.

“That’s a good idea,” Tess agreed. She lifted her hand to catch the waitress’s attention and when the woman came over, she asked her for three menus. Tess was planning to limit herself to one drink since she had to get up early the next morning for a conference call with Tokyo. She was in negotiations to purchase a new manufacturing company and the president was giving her the run around.

He had finally agreed to the conference call even though it was going to take place early Sunday morning her time. Tess was going to be thrilled when this deal was finally done and she didn’t have to deal with this man anymore. Oliver had offered to take over but she’d declined. It was a matter of principle at this point.

Lois chewed on the corner of her lip as she studied the menu. She was hungry too now that she thought about it. She glanced at her cousin out of the corner of her eye and saw her fidgeting with her napkin. As much as she wanted to get to the bottom of whatever was upsetting Chloe, Lois really didn’t want to make it worse so she would do her best not to bring up Oliver for the rest of the night.

Maybe in the morning she would tell Chloe what Clark had said about the other vigilantes in town to give her cousin a much needed distraction. But she was serious about scheduling that interview with Oliver. Lois was planning on talking to Tess again as soon as she could get a few minutes alone with her.

The waitress came back a few minutes later with three menus before letting them know she'd give them a few minutes to look them over before coming back. Chloe glanced over the menu her eyes drifting over the food pausing on the chicken parmesan. Her chest tightened and yet again she felt like an idiot.  
  
She put the menu down and glanced at her cousin. "You know, I think I'll have whatever you're having. The greasier the better. I'm going to run to the bathroom real quick." She said lightly. She felt bad that she was in such a foul mood the first time they'd all decided to go out.  
  
So she was going to head to the bathroom, splash her face with some cold water and push aside her current funk so they could have a good time. She gave them a quick smile. "I'll be right back," she said while getting up and disappearing in the crowd towards the bathroom.

Lois slammed her menu down on the table the second Chloe was out of sight. “All right, what the hell is going on with Chloe and Oliver?” She gestured in the direction her cousin had run off in. “She’s been moping around for days and every time his name comes up, she either starts yelling at me or she looks like I punched her in the stomach and she’s going to start bawling any second. Start talking,” she ordered.

Tess was momentarily taken aback by Lois’s brashness considering they had just met less than thirty minutes ago and she was asking her to spill her secrets. But Tess knew she was just worried about her cousin and she couldn’t blame her for that. She was worried too. Tess glanced over her shoulder to make sure Chloe wasn’t within earshot and leaned forward, lowering her voice as she spoke quickly.

“Oliver is trying to be noble because Chloe works for him.” Tess decided that was the best way to put it. She knew Chloe wouldn’t have told Lois about Green Arrow or the team, but there was still enough truth in her statement for it to make sense. “He has this idea that if they were together it would upset the balance or something.” She rolled her eyes.

“He’s miserable too but trying to get through to him when he makes up his mind about something is about as effective as bashing your head into a brick wall. I don’t think they’ll be able to keep this up, but right now they’re doing a really good job of avoiding one another. I’m tempted to lock them in a room together until they work it out.”

Lois sighed. “If you need help blocking the door, let me know,” she said as she reached for her drink. Chloe’s head was like a brick wall too and Lois couldn’t help thinking of Clark at Tess’s noble comment. He’d been the same way when they’d started dating. He’d wanted to protect her from his life instead of letting her help him. She knew it wasn’t the exact situation but she could see why it might not be wise for Oliver to get involved with an employee. But that still didn’t seem like a good reason for both of them to be miserable. “Maybe we…” Her voice trailed off when she caught sight of Chloe heading back in their direction. “How long have you been dating Hal?” she asked.

Tess blinked; confused by the abrupt change in conversation, but then she realized Chloe was probably close by. “Almost five years,” she replied. “Sometimes it seems a lot longer and other times I can’t believe it’s been that long.” She smiled at Chloe as she slid back into the booth. “Is the food here good? I’ve only had alcohol the few times I’ve been here,” she admitted.

Chloe still wasn’t exactly feeling better, but she knew this was as good as it was going to get for the time being. She smiled at Tess, pushing all thoughts of Oliver aside. “Yeah, the food here is actually pretty good I like their soups, they make even the simplest one’s taste amazing,” She said lightly as she lifted the menu back in her head and went straight to the soup section without looking anywhere else.

“So what were you guys talking about while I was gone? Any good gossip that I missed,” She joked knowing Tess wasn’t really one for gossip.

“Lois and I were just talking about the basics,” Tess replied. “Soup sounds good,” she said as she glanced down at the menu in her hands. “I have to admit that this place is nicer than the bar we usually go to in Coast City. Don’t tell Hal that I said this because the place is like his second home, but it’s not my favorite place and he always wants to go there,” she said.  
  
“Clark is the same way,” Lois said. She set her menu aside and refilled her drink and Chloe’s. “If it were up to him, we would have lunch at the same place every day and we’d watch the same movie every night. Don’t get me wrong, I love him, but change is good sometimes, you know?” She sipped her drink and tried to think of something else they could talk about that wouldn’t lead Chloe’s mind back to Oliver. It was difficult considering Tess was one of his closest friends. She tapped her nails against the table and wondered if Clark would run into Oliver and Hal at the museum event.  
  
The waitress came over to take their orders and Tess took another sip of her drink. She was trying to think of neutral topics as well, but nothing was coming to mind. “So are there any big events coming up in the near future?” she asked.

Chloe shrugged. “Not that I can think of,” She said before nodding towards Lois. “If there is something going on Lois would know though,” She said with a small grin before turning to Tess. “My cousin has a tendency to stick her nose in everything,” She said pointedly, but there was affection in her eyes.  She knew Lois only meant well when she pried and Chloe loved her for that.

She had just opened her mouth when their waitress came over with a tray of three drinks. Chloe glanced between Lois and Tess and arched an eyebrow. “Did you guys order more drinks?” She asked confused. Before either of them could answer the waitress pointed to a table across the room where four guys sat. “They bought them for you.” She said before giving the girls a bright smile.

Chloe pursed her lips. “Oh we don’t--” She didn’t bother finishing her sentence because the waitress was already gone. She sighed. “Do they not see we have a perfectly good pitcher of Margarita’s right here?” She asked while sending a sideways glance at the table across the room.

“I’m pretty sure they’re trying to get us to invite them over, Chlo,” Lois said. She glanced at the table of businessmen. Two of the four were pretty cute even if they were using one of the lamest tactics in history. She turned back to Chloe. “You’re the single one, cuz. Do you want to invite them over? Tess and I can play wingman for you if you want.”  
  
Tess’s eyes widened a little at that. She had made Hal promise not to let Oliver do anything stupid but was it really her place to stop Chloe if she wanted to meet a new guy? She didn’t know Lois well enough to be able to judge if she was serious or if she was just trying to see how Chloe would react. “I have to admit this kind of thing doesn’t happen very often since I’m usually out with Hal and Oliver.” She bit the corner of her lip, not sure if mentioning Oliver would make it better or worse for Chloe, but she didn’t know what else to do. 

Chloe glanced between them her eyes widening. “Me?” She asked. She shook her head quickly. Her mind drifting to Oliver and she once again felt her chest tighten. She knew there wasn’t anything going on between them and there probably never would be, but she didn’t want to meet some guy just so she could get over Oliver. That wasn’t a reason to get to know someone or to spend time with them.

“No,” She said before swallowing heavily, “I mean I’m not looking for a one night stand nor am I looking for a relationship of any kind.” She said quickly. “Maybe we should just send them back,” She said while biting her bottom lip. This type of thing didn’t usually happen to her so she wasn’t really sure how it all worked. He wasn’t like people hit on her on a regular basis.

“I’ll take care of it,” Lois said. She’d figured that would be Chloe’s answer, but she’d wanted to put the option out there just in case. She picked up the platter of drinks, plastered a smile on her face and walked over to the table. She politely declined, explained that they were all involved with people and left it at that. She slid back into the booth and smiled at the women across from her. “Well that was fun. Now where did that waitress go? I’m starving.”

Chloe gave her cousin a warm smile before lifting her hand to get their waitress to come back. Tonight might not exactly be what she had planned in the beginning, but she did want to make sure that Lois and Tess got to know each other and had a good time. It was time to put on her game face, just a few hours and then she could go back home and crawl into bed.

______

 

Oliver had been attending events like the museum banquet for as long as he could remember. Even when he was a kid, his parents had dragged him to parties like this from time to time and he’d always been told to be on his best behavior and to exhibit good manners and just make sure he was a good representation of the Queen name.

He was good at pouring on the charm and making a polite smile seem genuine. He could make small talk with the most boring people and he knew how to work a room. It was a well-honed skill; a persona he slipped into like a glove. But this particular night was slowly sucking the life out of him and he was one fake smile away from telling everyone to go to hell and leave him alone.  
  
He took a sip of the champagne he held in his hand and wished it were something stronger. Despite the tabloid inferences, he never drank a lot at these events. He made it look like he did from time to time, especially if he needed an excuse to slip out early. But he had nowhere else to be tonight and this charity had meant a lot to his parents so had to stay and pretend like he wanted to be there no matter how much he wished he was at home with a bottle of scotch.

Dinner had just ended and everyone was mingling around the banquet room catching up with one another. Oliver stood with Hal and the museum curator who was excitedly talking to them about something. Oliver had stopped listening after the guy had said hello.

He glanced around the room, catching sight of Lex on the other side. Oliver fought the urge to scowl in his direction. He’d given a big speech before he made a sizable donation. Oliver wanted to ask how much of the money came from Dominic Salazar, but he’d kept himself in check.

The two men had stayed on opposite ends of the party so far and if Oliver made it out the door without having to pose for a picture with him the night would be a success. He took another sip of his champagne and he heard Hal calling his name. He realized the curator was gone and it was just the two of them.  
  
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” he asked.

Hal sighed. He had been trying to engage his friend in some kind of conversation all night long. Normally Oliver was able to work a room like no one he’d ever seen, but tonight his friend was more than a little unapproachable and that wasn’t like him. Hal needed to figure out a way to get his friend out of this funk and soon. He wondered how Tess was doing with the girls. He hadn’t told Oliver that Tess was having a girl’s night with Chloe and her cousin.

He didn’t exactly think that would be the best move considering his friends current mood. Hal tugged at the collar of his tux and grunted. “I said the music here is stuffy, you’re lucky that I like you and decided to let you drag me to this monstrosity of an event.” He said lightly, but there was no real bite to his words. He leaned towards Oliver and kept his voice low as he spoke. “So…any chance you want to grab a beer when we’re finally released from here?”

Oliver raised an eyebrow in his friend’s direction. He couldn’t imagine why Hal would want to spend _more_ time with him after the past few hours. Oliver certainly didn’t want to spend time in his own head. “I appreciate you coming with me to this, but you’re off the hook once we leave. Go home to your girlfriend,” he said. He gave his friend a tired smile, trying to show that he wasn’t blowing him off but attempting to do him a favor. “Thanks again for coming. I know this isn’t anyone’s idea of a fun Saturday night.”

Hal shrugged. “It’s cool no worries, besides you’re my best friend and you know I don’t have to hang out with Tess _every_ Saturday,” He said lightly knowing his girlfriend wasn’t home and he’d be going home to an empty apartment. As much as it pained him to be around a moping Oliver, sitting around an empty house wasn’t much better. Especially since that’s what he basically did all day during the week. He’d much rather have the company.  He grinned at Oliver, “Come on, put that adorable smile on your face. You know the public loves you,” He teased quietly trying to loosen his friend up a bit.

“Adorable, huh?” Oliver teased. He gave Hal a genuine smile and patted him on the back before taking another sip of his champagne. “You should get the compliments out now. I don’t think Tess likes it when you flirt with me behind her back.” He finished his drink and set it down on a table as he took another look around the room.

There was a small group of reporters interviewing the curator and the committee who had planned the event. Oliver knew they were probably going to want a quote from him next and he needed to get his head in the game. He started to turn back to Hal when one of the reporters turned in their direction.  
  
Oliver sucked in a breath as his eyes widened. The reporter turned away again as he looked down at his notepad, but Oliver had gotten a good enough look at him to know that he was the same guy they had encountered in the alley the night before. He was the Blur. “Hal.” His voice was barely above a whisper as he tilted his head toward the reporters. “Does that guy in the back look familiar to you?” he asked.

Hal arched an eyebrow at Oliver before following his line a vision. His eyes widened as he caught the dark haired man who was currently leaving the curators side and approaching Lex. He was about to point, but thought better of it. “Oh my god…it’s the asshole,” He whispered almost excitedly. He frowned when he saw Lex greet him with a smile and start talking to him as if they were old friends. “What’s he doing talking to Lex?” He asked, voice hard.

Hal was watching them closely and Lex must have felt eyes on him because he turned his head in their direction and Hal could almost feel the air shift in the room as he spotted them. There was a spark of something in his eyes as he clamped a hand on the dark haired man’s shoulders and motioned in his and Oliver’s direction before heading towards them. Hal sighed; this wasn’t going to be good.

“I guess we’re about to find out,” Oliver muttered as he watched Lex and the Blur chatting like old friends before moving in their direction. Was this why the guy had gotten so defensive about Lex last night? They were friends? Oliver wasn’t sure what to think about that. Everything he’d read on the Blur suggested he was one of the good guys, but if he was working with Lex…Oliver shook his head and forced himself to smile at Lex like he wasn’t the most disgusting person he’d ever met.

  
“Lex, how are you tonight?” Oliver asked. His voice was dripping with fake charm and he knew Lex would know that, but he wasn’t the one he was putting on the act for. He nodded at the other man, grateful he’d been using his voice distorter the night before. “It seems like the benefit is a success,” he commented as he waited to see what game Lex was playing this time.

Lex smirked, “Oliver so nice to see you again. I’m doing quite well, thank you. We seem to be running into each other all over the place now that you’re in Metropolis,” He said while his eyes drifted towards the man standing next to Oliver. He gave him a dismissive glance before motioning to the dark haired man at his side. “Clark Kent, I’d like you to meet Oliver Queen. It seems the three of us a friend in common.” He said his voice way too cheery for the situation, but he was looking forward to seeing what Clark and Oliver thought of each other.

He doubted Chloe had introduced the two and he did so enjoy causing trouble for her. He knew how judgment Clark was, he’d been on the end of that judgment numerous times, but it was always so much nicer when it was focused on someone else.

Clark glanced away from Lex and turned to Oliver with a hint of surprise on his face, but he gave him a genuine smile as he held out his hand. “Oh, it’s nice to meet you Mr. Queen,” He said lightly. Lois had gone on and on about the man in front of him. “My girlfriend has mentioned you a few times,” He told him conversationally.

“You’re girlfriend?” Oliver repeated. He was confused as he tried to figure out what game Lex was playing. A second later, his brain clicked in and it took every ounce of his self-control to keep his expression neutral. Clark’s girlfriend was Lois, Chloe’s cousin. Several conversations he’d had with Chloe came flooding back to him. She’d mentioned Clark more than once, referred to him as her best friend. Oliver vaguely recalled her saying that he was a reporter at the Planet too. But it was what she _hadn’t_ said that was registering in his head.

  
Chloe knew a lot about Lex’s activities. She’d met all the guys before. There was something she’d been holding back from him and Oliver realized that something was standing right in front of him. Clark was the Blur and Chloe knew that. She’d been helping him for years and she hadn’t been able to tell him that because it wasn’t her secret.

He forced himself out of his head and back into the conversation. “Lois,” he supplied with an easy smile. “Right, Chloe’s told me about you too. Sorry, it took me a minute to make the connection.”

Clark nodded. “Yeah, Lois said Chloe was working for you. I was a little confused as to what she’s actually qualified to do at Queen Industries, but Lois said it had something to do with computers. Chloe’s great with that kind of stuff,” He said casually while peaking at Lex out of the corner of his eye. The man standing next to him seemed surprised and he frowned slightly.

Lex pursed his lips his gaze meeting Oliver’s. “So, Chloe is working for you is she?” he asked lightly, “That’s interesting. I didn’t realize Queen Industries was so lax on their intra office relationship policies.” He said with a grin. “Isn’t it slightly awkward to be dating an employee? Is it difficult to know where the working for you stops and begins? I’d hate to think Chloe is getting paid for anything other than the work she does in your office.” He said all the while keeping his face straight.

Clark frowned, his brows creasing. “Lex, that was out of line. We talked about this, respect that Chloe is my best friend,” He said a hint of disappointment in his tone before he turned his eyes on Oliver. “You’re dating Chloe?” He asked the look on his face not happy.

Lois had told him she thought Chloe should go for it with the billionaire, but he knew what this guy’s reputation was like and he didn’t want her to get hurt. Apparently he was missing something. He’d been so distracted by work, saving people and the new vigilantes in town that he hadn’t checked in on Chloe in a while. He was going to have to do that soon.

“Since you’re Chloe’s best friend you should know that she wouldn’t want us discussing her personal life when she’s not around,” Oliver replied carefully, neither confirming nor denying that he was dating Chloe. This Clark guy was a real dick and he was obviously too dense to see what Lex was doing.

Oliver still didn’t know if they were friends or if Clark was being nice because he worked for him. Chloe had said that she’d been friends with Lex at one point. He wondered if that relationship extended to Clark as well. He was going to have to ask her if she’d ever let herself be in the same room with him again.  
  
Oliver’s smile became a lot more forced as he met Lex’s eyes once again. “Thanks for your concern, Luthor, but how I run my company has never been any of your business. You should worry about yourself. I heard one of your associates got arrested.” He shook his head like the whole thing was terribly sad. “That must have been embarrassing for you,” he commented as he accepted another glass of champagne from a passing server.

Hal pursed his lips as he stood there watching Lex and Oliver volley back and forth. This wasn’t going to be pretty, then again when it came to Lex things never were. He glanced at Clark trying to figure out what this guy’s deal was. If he was Chloe’s best friend then he couldn’t be as much of an ass as he seemed to be. He was brought out of his thoughts by Lex’s next words.

“Well since I don’t see her on your arm tonight, you must have gotten exactly what you wanted from her, pity; though I’m sure she’ll recuperate just fine. She’s used to being discarded as soon as something better comes along.” he said his eyes cold as he glared at Oliver. “And I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re referring to,” He said with a shrug knowing no one could prove his involvement with Dominic Salazar.

Clark had just about had enough of Lex tonight. He really did want to believe Lex had changed, but ever since Lana took off it was like all the good that he’d seen had been slowly vanishing and he was starting to think as much as he wanted to help him there just wasn’t anything left to help. He shook his head and glared at the man next to him that he used to call his friend. “Lex maybe it’s about time you gave that other reporter who was looking for you an interview.” He said, voice tight.

Thank god Lois hadn’t come tonight. It was very possible his girlfriend might have killed Lex for the things he was saying about her cousin.

“Chloe and I are just fine,” Oliver told Lex. His tone was conversational; the direct opposite of the rage that was building inside of him each time Lex uttered Chloe’s name. He knew Lex was trying to provoke him and Oliver was not going to give him that satisfaction. Clark seemed to be attempting to rein him in, but that didn’t make Oliver any less wary of the man who was supposedly Chloe’s best friend.

“I’ll be sure to pass on your regards when I see her, Lex, but something tells me Chloe won’t care.” He smiled before taking a sip of the champagne like he didn’t have a care in the world.

Lex watched Oliver closely their eyes locking before a slow grin spread on his lips a knowing look in his eyes. “Hmm…Let me know how that goes for you. I hope you get a chance to do that and Clark is right,” He motioned towards the dark haired man beside him. “It looks like I’ve worn out my welcome here and I do have other people to talk to.” He said a light smirk playing on his lips. “It was of course good to see you Oliver; I don’t doubt I’ll be hearing from you soon.”

He nodded in Clark’s direction before moving away from them and into the crowd. Hal frowned not exactly liking the look on Lex’s face. He sighed and glanced at Clark who was also frowning. When he turned back to them he gave Oliver and his friend a sheepish look. “Sorry about him,” He waved in Lex’s direction before glancing at Oliver’s friend. “I’m sorry I never caught your name.” He said lightly.

“I’m Hal,” He said and shook the other man’s hand, but his attention was focused elsewhere. Clark glanced between the two men in front of him as he slipped his hands inside his pockets. “So…how long have you and Chloe been seeing each other,” He asked voice low not wanting to draw anyone’s attention to their conversation. “You guys should come to the farm for dinner one night.” He told him with half a smile, still not sure he liked the man in front of him but willing to get to know him if something was going on between him and Chloe.

Oliver watched Lex go as he tried to decipher his words. There was always a hidden meaning in anything Lex said to him and he didn’t like the smug look Lex had given him. It was like he knew something that Oliver didn’t and whatever that something was had to do with Chloe.

Oliver was tempted to call her and ask her if she was all right, but he didn’t want to upset her. She’d been putting distance between them and he needed to respect that. He still couldn’t help feeling like something was very wrong though and he didn’t like it.  
  
Clark was looking at him expectantly and Oliver forced himself to pay attention to the conversation. “Chloe and I are just friends,” he told Clark quietly, not wanting anyone to overhear. “Lex saw us together and jumped to his own conclusions. I don’t care enough about his opinion to dissuade them. Chloe mentioned that she was friends with Lex once upon a time but I didn’t realize you and he were still friends. How can you be friends with a guy like that?” he asked bluntly.

Oliver knew he was probably coming off rude, but he didn’t care. This guy was supposed to be Chloe’s best friend and he was being nice to a monster who had _experimented_ on her. That didn’t add up in Oliver’s head.

Clark tensed slightly as he eyed Oliver and Hal. “A guy like what?” He asked carefully. He didn’t know Oliver Queen or his friend well enough to know what they did and didn’t know about Lex and he was about to bring up anything involving 33.1 here. He wasn’t sure what Chloe had said to Oliver, but he couldn’t help feeling like the man knew more than he should.

“A guy who has no problem making disrespectful statements about your best friend,” Oliver replied. He’d realized a second too late that he’d said too much. He knew that Clark was the Blur but he didn’t want Clark knowing that he and Hal were the ones he’d encountered in the alley the night before. Oliver didn’t trust him and he had no intention of trusting him until he talked to Chloe. But he’d let his irritation with Lex get the best of him and he’d nearly given himself away.

Clark relaxed immediately and hesitated before speaking. “It’s complicated. He and Chloe haven’t exactly seen eye to eye recently. I thought things were getting better for a while, but when,” he paused, “You know it’s not really important. It’s not easy, but we all have to do what we think is right I guess,” He said with a frown. There wasn’t really anyway for him to explain why he continued to help Lex even though Lois and everyone else didn’t think he deserved it, without telling them who he was and that wasn’t something he planned on doing.

He didn’t trust them and from the way they were looking at him, they didn’t trust him either. He was going to have to talk to Lois and get some more information on Oliver Queen.

“You’re right,” Oliver agreed. He was just glad Clark was letting the whole thing go. He racked his brain for something neutral they could talk about. He wanted to try and see if there was more to Clark than the jackass he appeared to be. “Where is Lois tonight?” he asked. “This seems like the kind of thing she would normally cover.”

Hal let his head drop. Damn, he’d been so close to Oliver not finding out. His friend was probably going to be mad that he didn’t mention anything to him about Tess going out with her, or maybe he’d get lucky and Oliver wouldn’t care.

Clark’s face softened at the mention of Lois and he grinned letting out a small laugh. “Yeah, this is usually her thing. She’s actually out with Chloe and a friend of Chloe’s from work…Uh I think her name is Tess.” He said slightly unsure before shrugging. “They’re having a girl’s night out or something like that. Knowing Lois they’re drinking at the Ace of Clubs.” He said with a shake of his head.

“Lois said Chloe has been feeling sort of down so she’s taking her out to drink and butt into her love life like always. She’ll probably try to set her up with someone they meet there,” He gave a one armed shrug. “Lois is good at getting Chloe to have a little fun. She works a lot, which I guess is something you know, since you’re her boss.” He said lightly with a smile.

“Really? Chloe is out with Lois and Tess. That sounds nice,” Oliver muttered, practically spitting out the words. “You know it really is a small world, Clark. Tess is actually Hal’s girlfriend. I guess it must have slipped his mind when I mentioned Tess earlier.” He glared at his friend and swallowed his entire glass of champagne in one large sip.

He couldn’t believe that Hal had neglected to tell him that Tess was out with Chloe and Lois. He wasn’t even going to get into how much the idea of Chloe possibly meeting someone else made his chest burn. Oliver knew it would happen eventually. He didn’t expect Chloe to be alone for the rest of her life but he also hadn’t expected two of his best friends to be conspiring against him and helping her meet someone. He shot Hal another dirty look. They were going to have words about this later.

Hal pursed his lips. It was official he hated Clark Kent. How exactly was he supposed to explain this one? Oliver had been at dinner when Chloe told Tess they should all go out. Okay so maybe he should have mentioned it, but he’d been trying to get Oliver to go out and relieve some tension for days, it wasn’t his fault his friend refused to do it.

Clark frowned as he saw the tension creep into Oliver’s body as he shot a glare at his friend. He shifted on his feet, his brows creasing as he spoke. “Am I missing something? Was it something I said?” He asked confused wondering why everyone was suddenly so tense. “That is a small world, but it’s nice they all get along it makes things easier since you’re all friends.” He said casually trying to ease the tension he’d apparently created though he wasn’t sure how.

“No,” Oliver said. He forced himself to relax. “I just know Tess has an early day tomorrow and I’m surprised she went out tonight,” he lied smoothly. “But if she heard me say that, she’d probably punch me so we’ll just keep it between us. Listen, man, I hate to cut this short, but Hal and I need to get going. Did you need a quote from me for your article?” he asked.

Oliver wanted to get the hell out of there so he could give Hal a piece of his mind. When he was finished with that, he wanted to get his friend’s take on Clark. But judging from the look on Hal’s face, Oliver didn’t think his best friend was a big fan of Clark’s.

Clark glanced between them and shook his head. “No, that’s fine.” He said quietly, “I’m glad I got a chance to meet you,” He said with a small smile as he stuck out his hand again. “I’m sure if you’re working with Chloe we’ll be seeing quite a bit of each other,” He told him.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Oliver agreed. He shook Clark’s hand and waited for the other man to walk away before he turned to Hal and glared at him again. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me that Chloe was out with Tess? Don’t you think that’s something I would want to know?” he demanded through clenched teeth. He knew Hal wasn’t stupid and this wasn’t the kind of thing that would just slip his mind. He had purposely kept the information from him and Oliver wanted to know why.

Hal sighed and frowned at his friend. “Don’t get all huffy with me. I didn’t tell you because you were already in a pissy mood and I didn’t want to make it worse,” He said. “I’ve been trying to get you to go out all week man,” He said as his brows creased. “And you knew that Chloe wanted Tess to meet her cousin, it’s not like this is some huge surprise.” He told his friend.

Hal wasn’t sure if Oliver was mad at him for not telling him or if he was mad that Tess was out with Chloe. If had been getting increasingly difficult to read his friend lately and right now all he could see was the anger on Oliver’s face. “Look, we just didn’t want to make you more upset, that’s all. So what if Chloe and Tess are going out?” He said quietly.

“You’re right, it doesn’t matter,” Oliver snapped. It was none of his business what Chloe did in her spare time. She had made it perfectly clear that she wanted distance and that was all there was to it. Oliver sighed, trying to shake off some of his anger. It wasn’t Chloe’s fault or Hal’s or Tess’s or even Clark’s.

It was his own fault that he wasn’t with Chloe the way he wanted to be and he needed to live with that and stop taking his anger out on everyone who crossed his path. His eyes flickered in Lex’s direction and he remembered the cryptic remarks he’d made earlier. Oliver knew that was where his focus should be.  
    

“Come on, let’s get out of here.” Oliver clapped Hal on the back and motioned toward the door. “We can talk in the car about the mystery that is Clark Kent,” he added quietly. He had a lot of questions about the man who was also the Blur and he wanted to get Hal’s take on him.

Hal smiled, “Sounds like a plan man and I can finally get out of this damn monkey suit,” He grumbled as he followed Oliver towards the exit wondering how his girlfriend was fairing with Chloe and her cousin.


	11. Chapter 11

Chloe sat in the passenger seat of Tess’s car as the red head pulled the car up to the curb in front of the Talon. She could hear Lois laughing in the backseat and she shook her head. Tess had stopped after one drink because of her meeting in the morning, but she and Lois had kept going. Chloe had enough to be slightly tipsy, but she hadn’t been in the mood to drink too much, she was just happy to be home.

It was nice spending time with Tess and Lois, but she was looking forward to taking her heels and the dress off and curling up under her cover. She glanced at Tess and gave the other woman a smile. “Thanks so much for the ride home; I still say we could have taken a cab. It’s late and I feel horrible that you need to drive all the way back to Metropolis.” She said lightly as she lifted her bag and got her things together.

“It’s not a big deal,” Tess assured her. She was keyed up from the night out and thinking about the conference call she had in the morning. Tess figured the long drive back would be a good time to work on her game plan so that when she did get home, she could go right to sleep. “Tonight was fun. We should do it again sometime,” she said.

“We should,” Lois agreed. She might have had one too many margaritas and her head was spinning from the long drive, but she was okay with that. She didn’t have to work until Monday and she planned to spend the next twelve hours or so snug in her bed and then she didn’t plan to do anything except sit on the couch and maybe order takeout the next day. She smiled at Tess as she opened the car door to get out. “It was nice to meet you. I’m glad you’re not as bitchy in person as you look.” She laughed to herself.

Tess shook her head. “Thanks, I think. It was nice to meet you too.”

Chloe chuckled and waved in her cousin’s direction. “Don’t mind her she’s crazy,” She said lightly before smiling at Tess, “We should definitely do it again soon. Good luck with your meeting tomorrow and I’ll see you on Monday,” She told her before pulling her keys out of her bag, pushing the car door open and getting out.

She shut the door behind her and waved before turning to Lois with an amused smile. “Come on Lo, I got the keys.” She said while making her way towards the front entrance.

“Coming, cuz,” Lois said. She linked her arm through Chloe’s as they made their way inside. It was well after midnight so the coffee house was closed and everything was dark. “Do you remember when they used to have karaoke here? That was fun.” She stumbled over her heels and laughed as she grabbed one of the chairs that were stacked on the table to catch her balance.

“I really hate these shoes. I don’t know why I wear them.” Keeping one hand tucked into Chloe’s arm, Lois leaned down to adjust the strap on her shoe. The room spun and she groaned. “I think I drank too much.”

Chloe chuckled. “I think you’re right, come on let’s get you to bed.” She said while waiting for Lois to fix her shoe. A minute later she grinned at her stumbling cousin and started to lead her towards the stairs. “It’s upstairs and straight to bed for you missy,” She said, her tone slightly amused. At least tonight wasn’t a total bust, she was seriously lucky to have Lois in her life. If anything at least she’d laughed more tonight than she had in days.

Chloe stopped her thoughts exactly where they were. She wasn’t going to go there right now. She helped Lois up the first step spoke as she was lifting her foot to the second step, “I think from now on,” But Chloe never got to finish her sentence the second her foot hit the third step there was a loud explosion above them, the force of it knocking them of the stairs and back several feet. Chloe’s back hit the ground her, her ears ringing as her eyes fell shut. Her hand shifted slowly to her head confusion filling her.

She blinked rapidly her voice raspy as she called out for her cousin, “Lois!”

Lois was thrown back, her body hitting a stack of chairs and sending it crashing to the floor as she went with them. She landed on her stomach, throwing her hands down just in time to stop her face from bouncing off the tile. She stayed where she was for a few seconds, every single muscle in her body screaming in pain.

She was about to answer Chloe and ask her what the hell happened, when there was another loud boom that echoed through the coffeehouse. Lois instantly covered her head as chunks of the ceiling started to fall in on them. Smoke was filling her lungs and she glanced up to see the stairwell was already encased in flames.

“Chloe!” Lois managed to get herself to her feet, but she stayed close to the ground as she tried to find her cousin in the dark room. “Chloe!” she shouted again. “Where are you?” The smoke was getting thicker as more pieces of the ceiling rained down on them. She tried to get her bearings and figure out where the door was, but all she saw was darkness.

Chloe pushed her body over slowly until she was on her knees, her muscles protesting as she pushed herself up and into a standing position as she cough loudly, as she breathed in smoke. “Lo…We need to get out of here,” She said before covering her mouth as another serious of coughs left her throat as she sucked in mouth full’s of smoke.

She looked around trying to see something and caught movement to her left. She moved as quickly as her would allow her to, her head starting to feel slightly dizzy as she tried to get more air into her lungs. Chloe reached forward her hand closing around Lois’s arm as she tugged on the brunette while holding a hand over her nose and mouth. “Cover your mouth,” The words came out muffled and the sound of things falling behind them and the heat from the flames were making her sick. They needed to get out of there and quick.

Lois covered her mouth with one hand and held on tightly to Chloe with the other. She closed her eyes for a second and tried to picture where they were in the room. She saw the stairs in her head and she’d been thrown back near the counter. She’d moved to the left when she’d gotten up which meant the door should be ahead and to the right.

She opened her eyes again and started moving in that direction, ignoring the pain that shot through her once again. She heard another loud crash and started moving faster, making sure Chloe was at her side. She found the door when the doorknob poked her in the stomach. Lois groaned and wrenched it open, pulling Chloe with her outside. She greedily took in large breaths of fresh air as the two women sprinted away from the building.

“Chloe! Lois!” Tess let out a huge sigh of relief as she rushed toward them. She had decided to call Hal before she drove back and when she’d grabbed her phone from her purse; she’d noticed the battery was dead. She’d plugged it into the car charger and just as she started to make the call, there had been an explosion. The force had blown out her passenger side window and Tess had watched in horror as the building she had just seen Chloe and Lois walk into went up in flames. She’d gotten out of the car and was trying to call 911, but the blast was interfering with her signal. “Are you okay?” she asked frantically as she looked over both of them, trying to see if they had any noticeable injuries.

Chloe sucked in several sharp breaths, the breeze outside helping slightly as she bent at the waist trying to focus Tess’s question’s as she heard an ambulance in the distance. She turned her head and caught her cousin’s eye giving her a look hoping she understood what it meant before glancing back towards the building her heart clenching.

She heard another blast as yet another explosion blew out the back windows of the building, the ground around them vibrating with the force. They needed to get away from the building, but all she could do was stare at it, anxiety filling her stomach as she watched flames ransack the brick building. Her back hurt and she had cuts along her arms and legs she was sure from the shattering glass.

Her muscles protested as she turned, Tess’s words finally hitting her ears. She nodded; “Yeah I’m fine…Lo?” Her voice was hoarse from the smoke, her tone distracted as she took in the gravity of the situation.

“Come on, we need to get back,” Tess said. She reached out and took both of them by the wrist, not sure if they were in shock or if they had internal injuries or something. She pulled them across the street and they stood near the dry cleaners as they watched the building continue to burn. “I tried to call for help but my phone isn’t working. What happened?” she asked.

“I’m okay,” Lois told Chloe. “Just a little sore from getting thrown into that table, but probably not as bad as it’s going to hurt in the morning,” she said. She’d caught the look her cousin had sent her and she knew she wanted her to call for Clark, but she had lost her purse inside and it wasn’t like she could shout for him with Tess standing right there.

But she knew the museum event had ended an hour ago and chances were Clark was back in Smallville. She opened her mouth to suggest that Tess try walking to the next block for reception, but before she could say anything, she caught sight of a red and blue blur out of the corner of her eye.

Clark heard the explosion from the farm and when stopped at the side of the Talon, fear gripped him as he watched the flames. He ran around the building, voice loud. “LOIS! CHLOE!” He shouted completely missing the three women across the street as he ran into the burning building.

Chloe winced sending a sideways look in Tess’s direction before glancing back at the building and watching as the fire was put out. A couple of minutes later there was just a thick cloud of smoke above the building as Clark appeared outside looking up and down the street when he spotted Lois across the street.

His eyes widened and he called out, “Lois!” and seconds later he was in front of her, hands roaming over her arms checking her for injuries as he glanced at Chloe relief on his face. They were both alright. He knew he should be worried about the fact that some woman he didn’t know had seen him use his powers, but at the moment he was just thankful Lois and Chloe were alright.

He cupped her cheeks as he met her eyes. “I was terrified,” He said quietly. “When I heard the explosion and I saw where it came from…I thought,” He paused letting his voice trail off. “God Lois I was so scared,” He told her his voice barely a whisper.

“I’m okay. We’re okay,” Lois said. She threw her arms around Clark’s neck and held onto him for dear life. Everything had happened so fast and she hadn’t had time to process any of it until that second. They could have died.

If she hadn’t stopped to fix her shoe and Chloe hadn’t been helping her, they would have already been in their apartment when the first explosion happened and she never would have seen Clark again. She tightened her grip around him, burying her face in his neck as she struggled not to cry. “I love you, Smallville,” she whispered against his skin.

Clark brushed a kiss against her lips before pulling back and swallowing hard. “I love you too Lois,” he said softly as he kept his arms around her.

Tess’s head was swimming as she tried to piece together what had just happened. She’d seen a shadow or something and then the fire had been out and suddenly this man, who she was going to make an educated guess and say, was Lois’s boyfriend, Clark, was standing there hugging Lois and asking them if they were okay.

She recalled Hal complaining about running into the person the papers called the Blur when he and Oliver had been patrolling the previous night. According to Hal, the guy was a jackass and a long list of other names and if Tess was seeing what she thought she was seeing, he was also Lois’s boyfriend and Chloe’s best friend. She turned to Chloe, raising an eyebrow in her direction, but not saying anything.

Chloe glanced away from her though, ignoring all three people behind her as she continued to stare at the building. She was tired, cold and she could already feel her body starting to ache. She had almost died a little while ago and yet the only thing she could think of was Oliver and how much she wished he was there right now.

The feel of hands against her shoulders knocked her out of her thoughts and she blinked finally noticing Clark standing in front of her frown on his face. She arched an eyebrow. “What?” She asked quietly.

“Are you okay? I’ve been asking you that for the past couple of minutes. The sheriff is probably going to be here any minute. Why don’t we all head back to the farm,” he said before his eyes fell on Tess. “Al of us…I’m sure you have question but I don’t think this is the best place for the answers.” He glanced between Lois and Chloe, “You ready to get out of here?” He asked softly.

“I’m ready,” Lois said. She glanced back at the building and sighed. At some point, they were going to have to go through it and see if they could salvage anything, but she didn’t have the energy to do it now. She rested her head on Clark’s shoulder and for the first time, she realized Tess was standing there too and she now knew about Clark’s powers. “Um, Clark, this is Tess. She works with Chloe. Tess, this is Clark. I guess there were a few things we didn’t mention at dinner.” She sent Tess a sheepish smile.

Tess nodded. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, not sure what else to say. She had a lot of questions, but she couldn’t help being worried about Chloe. She hadn’t said much and she had a far off look in her eyes again. Tess glanced at Lois, but she was holding onto Clark like she was afraid he was going to disappear if she let go.

Clark gave Tess half a smile. “You too, I actually met your boyfriend earlier,” He said lightly. “I’m going to take Lois back to the farm,” He said before turning his gaze towards Chloe. “I’ll be right back for you Chlo,” He told her and she just nodded he hesitated before lifting Lois in his arms and disappearing, nothing but a gust of wind left.

Chloe wrapped her arms around herself and she could feel Tess’s eyes on her. She shifted on her feet slightly and spoke quietly. “I’m fine,” she told the other woman.

“Okay,” Tess said. She didn’t believe her for a second, but she didn’t want to push. “So you’re best friend is the Blur…” Her voice trailed off and she offered Chloe a small smile. “Your life is anything but dull, Chloe.” She motioned in the direction of her car. “I’m pretty sure my car is drivable aside from the broken window. I’d understand if you want to be alone with Lois and Clark. We can talk another time,” she offered.

She glanced at Tess and gave her half a smile. “I’m not sure I’ve ever known what dull is.” She told her quietly. “If you need to go that’s fine, but if you have questions for Clark now is probably the best time to ask him. He’s not usually very open about things.” She said softly before dropping her gaze to the sidewalk.

“I can stay,” Tess said. She glanced down at the cell phone she held in her hand. Something told her that what Chloe needed right now was Oliver. But she knew if she suggested calling him, Chloe would tell her not to. A gust of wind rattled her hair and suddenly Clark was standing beside them again.

Tess cleared her throat. “You know, I’m not big on the whole super speed travel thing, but if you tell me where to go, I can meet you there.” Hopefully once she got her car away from the site of the blast, she’d be able to get cell reception and she could call Hal and tell him that he needed to get Oliver to Smallville right away. She really hoped they hadn’t decided to go out drinking after the benefit.

Clark nodded, “Of course,” He told her how to get to the farm. “It shouldn’t take more than fifteen minutes,” He said while moving towards Chloe. “Ready?” He asked softly. She nodded and leaned up wrapping her arms around his neck, her gaze drifting towards Tess. “I’ll see you soon,” She told the other woman as Clark wrapped an arm around her waist and took off with a gust of wind.

Tess hurried toward her car, glancing at the destroyed building one last time. She started the engine and made a u-turn on the quiet street to follow the directions Clark had given her. As soon as she was on the main road, she grabbed her phone and checked to see if there was a signal. It wasn’t strong, but it was there. She quickly pressed the button for Hal on her speed dial and brought the phone to her ear as she waited anxiously for him to pick up.

Hal was sitting on the couch with Oliver watching reruns of some stupid game while he waited for his girlfriend to get home. It was already after midnight and he was wondering where she was. His pocket vibrated and he dug out his cell phone grinning when he saw Tess’s number on it. He pressed the button and held it to his ear. “Well, well you finally decided to check in…Please tell me you’re on your way home Red.” He said lightly.

“I wish I was,” Tess said. “Hal, something happened. They’re both okay, but Chloe and Lois’s apartment building blew up. I’m on my way to Lois’s boyfriend’s place. You’re not going to believe this, but he’s the Blur. I need you to get Oliver and come out here. Chloe needs him.” She slowed down when she came to an intersection that was basically a dirt road with corn on either side and tried to remember if Clark had said to make a right or a left. She was pretty sure he’d said left. She steered the car in that direction.

Hal sat up straight. “Holy shit, what happened? And yeah we knew about Lois’s boyfriend. Oliver figured it out tonight at the museum,” He said before glancing in his friends direction. He really didn’t want to be the one to tell him about the apartment. “Where is it? I’ll fly us there,” He told her as he pushed himself off the couch and ignored Oliver’s questioning look.

“Smallville,” Tess replied. “It’s a farm just past Old Windsor Road. Clark said there was a sign but it was hard to see in the dark.” She could see lights up ahead as she drove past a gate. “I think I’m pulling up on the house now.” She rattled off the address as she pulled her car to a stop behind a pickup truck. “Get here as soon as you can,” she said, ending the call.

Fear rose in Oliver’s gut as he watched Hal move off the couch. He could tell something was wrong and it sounded like Tess was okay so that meant something must have happened to Chloe. “Tell me,” he said as Hal lowered the phone from his ear. His voice sounded hollow in his own head as every worst case scenario seemed to slam into him at once.

Hal hesitated. “We need to go to Smallville. Chloe and Lois’s apartment blew up, Tess says they got out in time, but we need to get there like yesterday,” He told his friend quietly knowing he wasn’t going to be happy. Hal activated his ring and seconds later he was standing in front of Oliver all geared up. “They’re at Lois’s boyfriend’s house. It’s a farm or something, Tess gave me the address.” He told him.

“Lex,” Oliver muttered. He closed his eyes as realization set in. Lex had made a comment about how he _hoped_ Oliver would have a chance to talk to Chloe again. He’d been taunting him because he knew there was a chance he might not. He’d done this. Oliver took a deep breath and nodded as he moved closer to Hal. “Chloe’s okay?” he asked. Hal had said they’d gotten out, but he needed to know for sure. He needed to see her.

“Tess said they both got out okay.” he told him and that was about all his girlfriend had said. “I can have us there in fifteen minutes. Come on, the sooner we go the sooner you can make sure she’s all right.” He said quietly knowing his friend wouldn’t be happy until he was able to see with his own eyes that she was okay.

“I’m ready,” Oliver said. He hated traveling by air unless it was in a plane, but he knew Hal could get him to Chloe faster than he could drive there and getting to her was all that mattered. The idea that he could have lost her…Oliver shook his head. He couldn’t let his mind go there. Tess had said that Chloe and Lois had gotten out and they were okay. He focused on that and waited for Hal to do his thing.

 

______

 

Clark paced in front of the fireplace glancing up at Tess every once in a while before starting the whole process all over again. Once he got the girls back to the farm he’d checked them both over with his x-ray vision to make sure there were no broken bones or anything else like that and it seemed like they were both mostly okay.

And now that he knew that he had time to freak out about the woman sitting on his couch who now knew his secret. He’d filled her in on him being the Blur, not that she hadn’t already guessed that, and with Lois by his side he told her about a few of his powers, but not all of them.  Things were finally starting to calm down and Clark wasn’t sure what else to say.

He wanted Tess to go home so he could spend some time with Lois, but he didn’t want to be rude and tell her to leave. Clark stopped pacing and stood in front of all three women glancing between them. “So…do you have any other questions for me?” He asked her tension building in his shoulders as he watched her closely.

Tess arched an eyebrow at the man in front of her. He wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding the fact that he wanted her to leave. She could also tell that he was being cautious about how much he was telling her about his powers. He’d basically only listed the ones she had seen with her own eyes.

She’d caught Lois looking at him strangely like she was expecting him to say more. Tess could see why Hal and Oliver had walked away with a negative impression of him. “This isn’t an interrogation,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure everyone was all right after what happened. Do you know what happened?” she asked.

“It had to be a bomb. Or several bombs,” Lois said. She filled them in on the distinct explosions she had heard. She’d grown up on military bases and she knew what a bomb going off sounded like. She glanced at Chloe who was huddled in the corner of the couch not saying a word. “Chlo, do you want some water or something?” she asked.

Chloe glanced over at her cousin and shook her head. “No I’m fine. Just tired.” She said before glancing at Clark. “Look, it’s been a long night Clark and I know you don’t like bringing new people in, but you trust me and I’m telling you that you can trust Tess. Just tell her and get it over with, I’m tired of sitting here listening to you fumble around the truth,” She said her voice calm as she shifted slightly on the couch.

The truth was she was just tired of hearing about everything. She didn’t want to be sitting there right now. There was only one person who would blow up their apartment and that was Lex. He obviously wasn’t too happy about her digging up all that information for Lois so she could write that article. Good, she was glad he was pissed off, less glad that she’d lost everything including her computer.

Clark watched her for a minute a frown on his face as he looked back at Tess and hesitated for a minute before letting out a long breath. “You already know I’m the Blur…I have super speed, x-ray vision, heat vision and super strength. I grew up in Smallville and I’m from a different Planet.” He said in one long breath.

He explained the bare minimum about how he was sent to earth, grew up on the farm and was now currently working at the Daily Planet by day as a reporter and patroling the city at night as The Blur.

“That’s a lot of information,” Tess said quietly. Obviously she knew that there were other planets out there and galaxies and universes so it wasn’t that strange to her that Clark was admitting that he was an alien. She met his eyes and offered him a tight smile. “Thank you for explaining everything to me. I can imagine it’s not easy to share your secret with someone you just met ten minutes ago, but Chloe’s right. You’d probably be surprised just how well I understand this kind of thing.” She knew Hal and Oliver were going to be there any second and she had a feeling everyone’s secrets would be coming out before the night was over.

Lois frowned, wondering what she meant by that. She was about to ask when there was a knock on the door. She exchanged a confused glance with Chloe before turning to Clark. “Are you expecting someone, Smallville?” It was nearly one in the morning and the people Clark spent most of his time with were sitting on his couch.

Clark frowned. “No, I’m not.” He glanced at the three of them before mumbling a _‘stay here’_ and walking out of the living room and towards the hallway. He straightened up as he pulled open the door and his frown deepened when he saw Oliver and Hal standing there. “What are you two doing here?” he asked confused as he blocked their path from getting inside the house.

He had no idea how they knew where he lived, but in his experience people showing up unannounced was never a good thing.

“Tess called to tell us what happened and we wanted to make sure everyone was all right,” Oliver replied. He was doing his best to control his temper, but he really wasn’t in the mood for Clark’s bullshit at the moment. He just wanted to see Chloe.

He waited for Clark to step aside, but the other man just stood there like he wasn’t sure he believed what Oliver was saying. Frustrated, Oliver opened his mouth again to tell Clark what he really thought of him, but Lois appeared behind him before he had a chance to say anything.

“Oliver, how did you…” Lois’s voice trailed off as her eyes fell on the man standing beside him. “You must be Hal,” she guessed. She smiled at them and gave Clark a small push to get out of the way so they could come inside.

She assumed Tess must have called them and she had to give the woman props for her quick thinking. But she did wonder how they’d gotten there so fast. She figured they could straighten that out later. “Chloe and Tess are in the living room.” She pointed over her shoulder. 

“Lois, I’m glad you’re all right,” Oliver said. He gave her a quick smile before moving past her in the direction she’d indicated. Relief washed over him when he saw Chloe sitting on the couch. Her dress was covered in soot and she looked tired, but she was alive and in front of him. Oliver’s heart was pounding in his chest as he walked toward her. “Chloe, are you okay?” Without waiting for her to answer, he gently tugged her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to his chest.

Chloe blinked startled by his quick movements, but it took her less than a minute to catch up as she sucked in a sharp breath and wrapped her arms around his neck, tears pooling in her eyes. The only thing she kept thinking since the explosion was how horrible she’d been acting since Oliver told her his secret.

She’d been distancing herself from him because she couldn’t have him when instead she should have just taken what he was offering and keep things the way they were instead of pulling away. She was acting childish and throwing away a perfectly good friendship just because of the way she felt about him and that wasn’t right especially after everything he’d shared with her.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered as she held onto him tighter. “I’m so sorry I’ve been pushing you away, I didn’t mean it, I mean I did, but…Ollie,” She paused her throat constricting as she pressed her face in between his neck and shoulder and took a deep breath. “I’m okay,” She whispered.

“I know, Chloe,” Oliver whispered back. He held her as tight as he could without actually crushing her and taking away her ability to breathe. He’d been so scared from the moment Hal had received the call from Tess that something had happened and he’d been thinking about how stupid they’d both been acting.

He’d let her push him away because he felt guilty for the choices he had made.  But the idea that he could have lost her tonight was too much for him to bear. “You can’t do it again,” he said. “I won’t either,” he added. Oliver knew he could have fought harder; he should have fought harder, to change her mind instead of just sulking and acting like he was fine with the way things were between them.

Chloe nodded and pulled back just enough to look at his face. She tilted her head to the side and let her hands grip his waist. “I won’t,” She told him quietly before swallowing hard. “I missed you,” She told him trying to keep her voice light, but after spending so much time with him and then avoiding him completely missed was just not a strong enough word.

She tugged him gently as she took a step back towards the couch a wave of tiredness hitting her as she kept her hands on him.

Hal watched them for a minute before sighing and sending a small smile Tess’s way as he moved towards where she was sitting and pressed a kiss against her head.

Meanwhile Clark had made his way back into the room and was standing next to Lois, arms crossed over his chest as he glared at the Oliver as he watched him with Chloe.

“I missed you too,” Oliver said. He smiled at Chloe, brushing her hair back from her face as he rested his hand against her cheek. He wanted to say more, but he knew it wasn’t the right time and she was obviously exhausted. He sat down on the couch in the spot she’d been sitting earlier and pulled her down beside him, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and holding her close to him as he glanced up at Clark. The other man didn’t look very happy. Oliver wasn’t thrilled with him either, but he was too concerned about Chloe to be bothered with him at the moment.

Tess threaded her fingers through Hal’s and shifted closer to the arm of the couch so he could squeeze in between her and Chloe. She didn’t like the look on Clark’s face and she had a feeling things were about to get ugly. 

Lois smiled to herself as she watched Chloe and Oliver. Her cousin already looked happier than she had all week and that was a big deal considering everything they owned had gone up in smoke. Her smile faded at the memory and she turned to Clark. “Honey, everyone is tired. Maybe we should save this talk for another day,” she suggested.

Clark shook his head. “No, I want some answers now. I had to explain things about myself to someone I barely know and yet I feel like I’m missing something here,” he said as he glanced at the four people on his couch, irritation in his voice. “How did the two of you get here so quickly? It takes two hours to get here from Metropolis, and this happened less than an hour ago.” He told them.

When no one said anything his eyes fell on Chloe. “What is going on?” He asked her while once again crossing his arms over his chest.

Chloe tightened her grip around Oliver’s midsection as she rested her head against him, the tension that had been building in her body for over a week finally dying down some. She bit her lower lip and sighed. “Clark, I’m sorry…I can’t.” She told him quietly.

“It’s okay, Chloe. I can,” Oliver said. He wrapped his other arm protectively around Chloe as his face hardened and he glared at Clark. “You’re definitely missing something here but it seems like that’s your thing. I warned you about Lex. I told you that you couldn’t handle him on your own and you told me to mind my own business. Well guess what, Boy Scout? Chloe is  _my_  business and she could have died tonight because you’re more interested in being friends with Lex than you are in actually protecting people from him including your best friend and your girlfriend,” he snapped.

When Clark continued to look at him with a confused expression, all of the anger and frustration that had been building inside of Oliver for the past week snapped. “You still don’t get it, do you?” He angrily motioned toward Hal. “Do you remember last night in the alley? Is it really that hard for you to put the pieces together?” he demanded.

“Oh my God.” Lois’s mouth dropped open as she realized what Oliver was talking about. The two vigilantes Clark had encountered in the alley were Oliver and Hal. Her eyes fell on Chloe and suddenly she understood why her cousin was working for Oliver. It wasn’t about Queen Industries at all. It was some kind of superhero thing. No wonder she had been so secretive lately. It was like when she’d had to keep Clark’s secret all over again.

Clark’s mouth dropped open and he pointed. “ _You’re_ the vigilante from the alley?” He asked surprised that someone like Oliver was going around fighting crime and then Chloe’s words finally registered with him. He turned his gaze on her a mixture of anger and hurt in them, “You knew? You knew who he was, that he was in Metropolis, and you didn’t tell me?”

Chloe frowned. “Clark that’s not fair. I didn’t tell him about _you_ either. You can’t expect me to keep your secret and not someone else’s. You know that. We’ve been through this before.” She told him thinking back to when she’d lied for Lana about her relationship with Lex when it first started. “It wasn’t my place to say anything and I honestly don’t know why you’re so angry. We’re always looking for more help.” She said quietly.

“As super as you are, you can’t be everywhere at once. Ollie is an asset, he’s a good ally to have you should consider that before you go off on one of your rants,” She told him softly, but sternly.

“Guys, I think everyone just needs to take a breath and calm down,” Lois said. She understood where Chloe and Clark were both coming from, but she was worried if they kept this up when everyone’s emotions were so raw that someone was going to say something he or she might regret. She knew how hard it was for Clark to let new people in and Oliver, Hal and Tess were strangers to him, but Chloe wasn’t and she trusted all of them. That was good enough for Lois. “We’re all on the same side,” she pointed out, trying to defuse the tension in the room. 

Clark shook his head ignoring Lois’s words as he continued to address Chloe. “You’re my best friend Chloe…You still should have said something instead of trying to protect your boyfriend.” He said while sending her a disapproving look. “This is a lot to take in okay? You can’t just expect me to trust someone I don’t even know. It’s been a long night.” He told her while pointing to Oliver and then Hal.

He shifted so he was standing by Lois his arm moving around her waist. He knew she was fine, but he felt the need to be closer to her at the moment. For some reason he felt like there was this huge distance between him and Chloe. It had been there for a while, but it was getting larger by the day. He just didn’t know her the way he used to anymore and that was upsetting.

Lois put her hand on Clark’s chest, moving it in circles over his heartbeat. “Clark, please. This isn’t helping anyone. Chloe is not the enemy here.” She could see how upset her cousin was and Oliver looked like he was ready to explode. She bit her lip and gave Clark a pleading look. She didn’t want things to escalate any further than they already had.

Chloe’s body tensed and though she appreciated Lois’s words, Clark needed to hear this. She moved even closer to Oliver. “You’ve had a long night?” She asked a hint of anger in her voice. “Lois and I were nearly filleted tonight and yeah I know that happens on a fairly regular basis for me. And this is probably the third or fourth time someone’s tried to blow me up, but in case you’re wondering it doesn’t get easier.” She said while meeting Clark’s eyes.

“You know how he feels about me Clark and you know that isn’t going to change. I understand that you aren’t comfortable with certain things and that you believe people can be redeemed and deserve a second chance. But Lex has had his fair share of chances. He’s tried to kill me seven times now Clark…seven. That’s not including all the other near death experiences I’ve had over the years…I’m tired. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life jumping from windows and exploding buildings. Lois was with me tonight. How would you have felt if we both died just because you want to try and rehabilitate someone who is _never_ going to change?” She asked him, voice calm.

Clark swallowed heavily and glanced between her and Lois ignoring the other people in the room as he tightened his arm around his girlfriend. “I know that Chloe, I’m the one who saved you in most of those situations,” He said lightly. “But I’m not going to apologize for wanting to save him. He used to be a friend, I just…” He let his voice trail off and he shrugged. His eyes found Lois’s as he spoke.

“I can see now that he isn’t going to stop okay? We’ll figure it out…send him to jail, maybe he can get some help there,” He said while squeezing Lois’s hand lightly.

Lois squeezed his hand and fought the urge to roll her eyes. She loved Clark and she loved his ability to see the good in people but she felt like when it came to Lex, he just buried his head in the sand and refused to see him for the monster he truly was. Lois knew they had been friends once but that had been a long time ago and Lex was never going to forgive Clark for keeping his secret and Clark was never going to be able to trust Lex with who he really was. Lex was past the point of needing help. Now he just needed to be stopped before he actually managed to kill one of them.

Hal rolled his eyes. Was this guy for real? He didn’t know why he rubbed him the wrong way. He knew some people had certain morals and what not, but this was ridiculous. Lex was a murderer, what he needed was a good swift kick in the ass not coddling and psycho therapy or whatever this Clark guy wanted to help him with. He wrapped an arm around Tess’s shoulders as he pursed his lips.

Tess rested her hand on Hal’s thigh, her nails digging into his jeans as she fought to keep her mouth shut. She knew that it wasn’t her place to say anything since she didn’t know these people at all, but Clark was obviously kidding himself. There was nothing redeemable about Lex Luthor. Maybe there had been at one point, but as far as she was concerned, that ship had sailed when he’d started experimenting on people as a hobby.

Oliver had heard enough. He let go of Chloe and got to his feet, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at Clark. “You think that Lex needs help? Lex needs a dark prison cell where he will never see the light of day again. Or a hole six feet under next to his old man,” he said. His voice was dangerously low.

“You’re supposed to be some kind of big hero but you’re being selfish. Do you get that, Clark? You have this schoolboy notion where you and Lex can trade friendship bracelets and sing around a campfire again one day but that is never going to happen. He’s a murderer. A murderer,” Oliver stressed.

His jaw was so tight with tension, Oliver was afraid it was going to crack in half, but he wasn’t done yet. “And how dare you judge Chloe for anything. She’s a better person than you will ever be, no matter how many old ladies you save from muggers. She’s been through hell because of you and you have the nerve to act put out because she didn’t tell you about me? Why isn’t her friendship as important to you as Lex’s?” he asked.

Chloe winced and let out a small sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. And the night just got a whole lot worse. Her heart warmed at Oliver defending her, but he didn’t realize he was just starting a fight that no one really wanted to have at one fifteen in the morning. Lois was right, they were all tired and if they didn’t stop this now, they would all wind up saying something they’d regret.

She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything Clark was already talking as he moved away from Lois and mimicked Oliver’s stance. “Just because you’ve known Chloe a couple of months, doesn’t give you the right to come in here and think you know everything.” He snapped. “I guarantee you that you have no idea about my past or Chloe’s or Lex’s for that matter. All you know is what he’s like now.” He said his voice harsh.

“Her friendship means more to me than you know. You’re judging me because I want to help people. I know what Lex has done. I’ve stopped more of his experiments than I can count over the years. Who do you think helped Chloe after Lex took her?” He asked sharply and Chloe’s jaw clenched.

“Clark,” She said sharply. It wasn’t that she was hiding things from Oliver and she knew he was a smart guy and had most likely already put two and two together, but it wasn’t Clark’s place to mention that. She hadn’t even had a chance to sit down with Oliver and tell him that she had a power, or used to. She wasn’t even sure anymore and it wasn’t something she wanted him to hear about from Clark.

He paused his eyes darting in Chloe’s direction and when he saw the look on her face he pursed his lips. Clark shook his head at her and frowned a bit even as guilt blossomed in his chest. “You haven’t told him about any of it have you?” He asked quietly. “How do you expect me to trust someone with my secrets when you haven’t even trusted him with yours?” He said before sending one more glare in Oliver’s direction and shifting back towards Lois.

“That’s enough,” Lois snapped. She didn’t want to make things any worse for Chloe than they already were. She stepped between the two men and gave them each a warning look before she continued.

“It’s the middle of the night and I’d like to point out that I advised against doing this but no one listened to me. You’re all going to listen now because I’m playing the ‘I was almost blown up’ card. You both care about Chloe and you both want to stop Lex. Let’s just leave it there for now. I want to go to sleep. I’m sure Chloe does too and these guys have a long drive back to Metropolis. Or a short one since they got here really fast,” she said. “How did you do that?” Lois shook her head. “Never mind,” she said. “We’ll talk about this another time. Everyone needs to go back to their separate corners.”

Oliver’s jaw ticked, but he knew Lois was right. It was late and they were on edge and he really didn’t want to look at Clark for another second. They were going to have to agree to disagree for now. He glanced back at Chloe and his expression softened. He didn’t want her to think he was upset with her for not saying anything about having a power. He had assumed as much, but he hadn’t wanted to put any pressure on her. He figured she would tell him when she was ready. He turned back to Lois and Clark.

“You’re right, Lois. I’m sorry if I made your night worse, but I’m glad you’re okay.” His expression hardened when he met Clark’s eyes again, but his voice was neutral when he spoke. “We’re going to go. But this conversation is not over,” he said. Oliver didn’t want Clark thinking that he was going to cave in and start thinking Lex was just a scared little boy who had made a few bad choices. He was a grown man and he was evil. That was never going to change no matter how much Clark wanted it to.

Chloe gave Lois a grateful look before pushing herself up off the couch and biting her lower lip. She knew Oliver had just come back to make sure she was okay, but when he said he was leaving her chest tightened. She knew he had to go and it was late, but a part of her wished he would stay. She swallowed heavily her hand running down his arm lightly as she spoke. “Thank you for stopping by and checking on me,” She said softly.

Meanwhile Hal pushed himself off the couch and extended a hand to Tess. He gave her a small smile. “I’ll drive home with you,” He said lightly.

Tess gave Hal a tired smile as she let him pull her off the couch. “The passenger side window broke in the blast and there’s probably glass on the seat,” she warned. She nodded toward Lois and Clark. “Have a good night,” she said politely as she tugged on Hal’s hand. She wanted to get out of there so she could tell Hal and Oliver what she really thought of Clark and his insane logic.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Oliver told Chloe. He brushed her hair back from her face and let his hand linger on her cheek. His chest tightened again when he thought about how he’d almost lost her tonight. He was going to make sure that never happened again. “You’re coming home with me,” he told her matter-of-factly. “I’m not going to give Lex the chance to get near you again.”

Chloe arched an eyebrow and smirked. “Oh I am, am I?” She said voice amused as she reached out and gripped his waist lightly. Her face softened, her chest warming at the fact that he wanted to keep her near. She glanced towards Lois and Clark and gave her cousin a small smile. “Never a dull moment with us huh Lo?” She asked lightly before nodding her head towards Oliver as her thumb caressed his side. “I’m gonna go with Ollie,” She told her, “But you’ll call me if you need anything?” She asked lightly.

Lois nodded. She moved away from Clark and pulled Chloe into a hug. She knew things could have gone a different way tonight and she was so grateful they were both okay. “Same goes for your, cuz. Don’t think too much,” she added quietly before she pulled back and gave Chloe a knowing look. She was finally starting to get a full picture of Chloe’s relationship with Oliver and she had a feeling she knew what was keeping them apart. She glanced at Oliver and gave him a small smile. “Take care of my cousin,” she said.

“I will,” Oliver said. He put his arm around Chloe and pulled her close to him as he glanced at Clark one more time. He could see the other man was not happy with the situation, but he didn’t really care. He wasn’t looking for his approval. “Have a good night,” he said, echoing Tess’s polite words as he led Chloe toward the door where Hal and Tess were waiting.

 

______

 

“Finally!”

The loud shout startled Chloe awake her body jerking against Oliver’s as the car came to a stop in front of the clock tower. Hal had been complaining almost the whole ride back to Metropolis. He wasn’t used to small confined spaces for long amounts of time

Chloe shifted lifting her head and glancing at Oliver who was in the backseat with her. She smiled slightly tilting her head as she met his eyes and sighed as her hand slid up his chest. She spent the ride curled up at Oliver’s side and was pretty sure she fell asleep almost immediately. It was the first time in a while that she’d been relaxed enough to get a good sleep.

Hal pushed the door open and got out stretching his legs as he bent down and glanced through the window at his girlfriend. “You coming Red? I don’t know about you, but I think our bed is calling my name,” He said with a grin before glancing at the backseat. “Are you two sleeping in the car,” He joked.

Tess was exhausted and she knew she had to get up in a few hours for that stupid conference call. She was really glad Chloe had fallen asleep because she had spent the entire first hour of the drive ranting about Clark.

Oliver and Hal hadn’t been able to get a word in because each time one of them opened his mouth; she remembered something else she wanted to say. She motioned for Hal to step aside so she could get out of the car and slipped her keys into her purse. “I’m ready,” she said as she reached for his hand and tugged him toward the elevator.  

Oliver got out of the car and stretched as he waited for Chloe to join him. He was wound up and he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep anytime soon, but he wanted Chloe to get settled as soon as possible. It had been a long night and he knew she was probably going to be hurting in the morning from being thrown from the stairs after the first blast.

She had filled them in on what had happened before she’d drifted to sleep and Oliver couldn’t believe how lucky they were that they hadn’t been in their apartment when the bomb had gone off.

The four of them got into the elevator and the doors opened into Tess and Hal’s apartment a minute later. They said good night and Oliver pressed the button for the penthouse. He took Chloe’s hand in his as they walked out of the elevator. “I’ll show you where the guest room is,” he said as they made their way through the dark apartment.

Oliver turned on the lamp near the couch and stopped walking to face her. “There’s a private bath attached if you want to take a shower. I can give you a shirt to wear for now and I’m sure Tess has some clothes you can borrow for the next couple days.” Oliver felt like he was rambling, but this was the first time he’d been alone with Chloe for almost a week and he felt inexplicably nervous for some reason.

She nodded the realization that everything she owned aside from her purse and the clothes she was currently wearing had been in that apartment. “I can’t believe the apartment’s gone,” She said softly as she glanced around the penthouse. The last time she’d been here was when he told her his secret.

Chloe shook herself out of her thoughts and looked up at Oliver taking a small step back once she realized how close they were. “Sorry,” She told him quietly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Thank you for letting me stay here,” She said, her eyes never leaving his as her heart beat sped up slightly.

“Chloe, I need you to stop saying thank you to me,” Oliver said. He stepped closer to her again; ignoring the distance she had created and cupped her face in his hands as his eyes bore into hers. “I know you’re tired and you’ve been through a lot tonight, but I need you to understand how much you matter to me.” He swallowed hard, his chest tight as he struggled to find the right words.

He’d always been the guy who knew what to say in any situation, but he constantly seemed to be at a loss for words around Chloe. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Chloe,” he said quietly. His eyes dropped to her lips as that familiar urge welled in his chest. “I need you.” His voice was barely above a whisper as he met her gaze again.

Her hands slid to his sides and she gripped him tightly emotion welling in her chest as she gazed at him. “I need you too,” She told him softly as she moistened her lips. She could feel the heat from his body as she pressed herself closer to him, never breaking their eye contact 

“I thought I was never going to see you again,” She said softly her chest tightening as she continued to look at him. Chloe wasn’t sure how to explain what she was feeling without overstepping the boundaries that they had between them. “Ollie,” She paused, “You mean a lot to me too, so much.” She said as her eyes dropping to his lips briefly before looking back at him.

She moved one hand around to the front of his chest stroking it unconsciously as her hand dropped slightly lower to his abdomen she continued watching him, her heart slamming against her chest.

The muscles in his abdomen clenched under her touch and Oliver felt what was left of his self-control slipping away. He slid one of his hands into her hair and tilted her head back. His heart was pounding so hard against the wall of his chest that he momentarily wondered if it was possible for it to burst out of his body.

As Oliver stared into Chloe’s eyes, he decided he didn’t care. He didn’t care if the whole world came crashing down around them at the moment. All that mattered to him was Chloe. She was safe and she was right there and he wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything else in his life.

He lowered his head, stopping for a minute when his mouth was a breath away from hers. Oliver watched her for a second and then leaned in, covering her lips with his. The kiss started out light, just a whisper of his lips moving over hers, but Oliver felt the spark of electricity from it in every cell of his body and he knew it would never be enough.

He kissed her again and this time his mouth was more demanding as he coaxed her lips apart. His tongue slipped into her mouth and tangled frantically with hers as he deepened the kiss.

Chloe’s arms immediately wrapped around his neck in an attempt to get closer to him as she groaned against his lips. She let him deepen the kiss as she felt her entire body growing warmer at his touch. She broke away from the kiss and sucked in a large breath before gripping the back of his neck and pressing her lips to his again.

She deepened the kiss trying to pour everything she was feeling into the action. His lips were soft against hers. She could smell whatever cologne he’d been wearing earlier in the day as it surrounded them and his slightly callused fingers against her face were warm, but it wasn’t enough, she wanted more. Chloe kissed him harder urging him on as she pulled his body towards hers.

Oliver tightened his hand in her hair as he kissed her, his tongue exploring her mouth as he savored the taste of her. He’d been imagining this moment for longer than he would admit, even to himself, and kissing Chloe was so much better than anything his mind had come up with.

When his lungs started to burn, he broke away from her mouth and attached his lips to her neck. His trailed kisses up to her ear, lightly sucking her earlobe into his mouth as his hand slid down her body to her hip. He tugged her forward as he moved back toward the couch. He fell back, pulling Chloe with him so she landed on his lap.

Chloe moaned shifting and letting her legs drop to the couch, knees digging into the cushion on either side of him as her dress rode up slightly. A wave of arousal flowed through her body as she tilted her head to the side giving him better access to her neck while threading her fingers through the back of his hair.

Thank god she was sitting because she was pretty sure she was so weak in the knees standing wasn’t even an option. The feel of his lips closed around her ear were driving her crazy. His touch was so much better than she had imagined. Chloe let out another moan, one hand falling to his shoulder as she shifted her lower body rubbing against his as his name fell from her lips. “Ollie,” She said, her tone breathy.

His name falling from her lips and her body pressing against his was enough to drive him crazy. Oliver claimed her mouth again, his tongue sliding over hers as he gripped her hips and shifted her body so she was pressed intimately against him. A voice in the back of his head tried to reason with him and remind him that he wasn’t supposed to be touching her this way, but Oliver shoved it aside. He was so far over the line that he couldn’t even see it anymore and he was too turned on to care. He broke away from her, breathing hard as his eyes roamed over her.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he asked huskily. Oliver kissed her lips lightly before letting them trail down her neck again. He kept his hand on the small of her back to hold her in place on his lap as he lowered one strap of her dress down her arm. He kissed his way down her shoulder and over her collarbone. His other hand slid up her stomach, brushing over her ribs before he cupped her breast in his palm, kneading it softly as his thumb rubbed her nipple through the fabric of her clothes.

Chloe gasped, her nails biting into his skin as her hands clenched against his body. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had touch her like this. She was completely lost in the sensations he was creating in her body. All she could hear was her heartbeat pounding in her ears, her pulse racing and moisture pooling in her panties as his thumb continued to move against her nipple.

She’d never wanted anything in her life as bad as she wanted the man in front of her right now. One of Chloe’s hands slid forward cupping his cheeks as she spoke. “I want you…so bad Ollie,” She said before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his jaw, trailing her lips down to his neck until her lips hit his ear.

“You’re all I think about,” She whispered breath hot against his skin as she yet again rubbed herself against him. “Ollie please, I want you…I _need_ you,” She let the words trail off, another moan tumbling from her throat as her body tensed in anticipation of his touch.

Oliver groaned as his hips automatically bucked against hers. He felt what was left of the blood in his head rushing southward as her warm breath hit his ear. “I want you too, Chloe. I’ve wanted you for a long time.” He moved his hand up her back and lowered the zipper of her dress, his eyes never leaving hers.

He pushed the straps down her shoulders, exposing the lace bra she wore underneath to his dark eyes. He leaned forward and sucked her nipple into his mouth through the lace as he switched his hand to her other breast. He tweaked her nipple between his fingers as he ran his tongue over the hard peak.  

It was nearly impossible for him to hear the warning bells in his head over the sound of his heart beating. Oliver couldn’t believe he was finally touching Chloe the way he’d wanted to. Her skin was so soft and he felt like he couldn’t get enough of her. He moved his hips against hers again as he continued to suckle her, wanting her to feel just how much he wanted her.

Chloe cried out his name her hand gripping the back of his hand holding him against her chest, her breathing ragged as she continued rocking her hips against his in an attempt to relive the pressure building in her lower body. She could feel the bulge in his pants against her panties and she desperately wanted to know what it would feel like to have him inside of her. 

She slid one of her hands slowly down his chest before slipping it up and under his shirt, her hand caressing the toned muscles of his stomach. “So long,” She managed to get out between heavy breathing. “I’ve been waiting so long for you to touch me, oh god,” She arched her body against his, her words falling almost frantically from her lips.

“This can’t be wrong…It feels so good. _You_ feel so good…I don’t care about anything else,” She whispered as she tried to move closer to him, the pressure growing in her lower belly her eyes sliding shut as she ground her hips against his hard.

Oliver wanted nothing more than to throw her down on the couch and bury himself inside of her. He slid one of his hands between her legs and stroked his fingers over the front of her panties, groaning against her breast when he felt how wet she was. But her words reminded him that there was a good reason they weren’t supposed to be doing this.

She was part of the team and she’d almost died tonight and he needed to protect her. He wasn’t sure he could do that if he let himself get lost in her the way he wanted to. Oliver couldn’t risk something happening to her because he’d been too busy giving into his hormones.

He pulled back, panting for air as he looked at her. She was flushed and breathing hard, her chest heaving as she rocked her hips against his making him nearly forget his own name. Oliver knew what was between them was so much more than hormones and Chloe deserved more than for him to just desperately fuck her on his couch. He gripped her hips in his hands to slow her movements. “Chloe, we can’t do this. Not like this,” he said.

Her body protested as he held her hips to keep her from moving in his lap. Chloe blinked confused by his words as she tried to get her breathing under control. Her entire body was filled with barely controlled lust as she met his eyes and cupped his cheek. “Yes we can,” She said almost desperately. “Ollie,” She paused her head still slightly foggy with the pleasure she’d been feeling moments before. “Why can’t we?” She asked in a hushed voice. “I care about you,” She said while leaning in and pressing a kiss against his lips.

“Don’t push me away,” She whispered against his lips as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close to her body as she tried to calm her hormones down enough to try and figure out what was going on. She wasn’t usually so bold or insistent, but this wasn’t just anyone, it was Oliver.

“I care about you too, Chloe,” Oliver said. He couldn’t stop himself from kissing her again as his fingers dug into her hips. His heart was still beating a mile a minute and all he wanted was to keep touching her. He forced himself to pull back so he could look into her eyes. “That’s why I don’t think it’s right to take advantage of this situation.” He brushed her hair back from her face and cupped her cheek in his hands. 

“Chloe, I don’t want to push you away and I don’t want there to be distance between us.” Oliver hesitated. He was having trouble justifying his reasons for not being with her to himself at the moment and he had no idea how to make her understand if he couldn’t. Everything that had seemed logical to him a few hours ago seemed silly now.

He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. Now that he knew what it was like to taste her and to feel her in his hands, Oliver didn’t think he could ever go back. But it wasn’t just about him. “I’m afraid,” he told her honestly. “I’m afraid that if we’re together, I’ll miss something and you’ll get hurt because of me. Or worse,” he said.

“Lex could have killed you tonight, Chloe. I should have known he wouldn’t just let that article go. But I was too busy moping because I wasn’t with you to see the potential danger. I can’t risk that,” he said.

Chloe pursed her lips, her eyes burning slightly as she tried to hide the tears that were building in her eyes. She understood what he was saying and she knew that was probably the smart thing to do, but she’d just spent over a week being miserable without him by her side. She didn’t care what was right or smart anymore. For once she cared about what was going to make _her_ happy.

She knew this was hard for him, but it was hard for her too. She caught his eyes as she spoke. “Exactly, you were busy moping because I wasn’t around…But Ollie I can be here and we can be a team…we can stop Lex together,” She said trying to make him understand. She swallowed heavily stealing herself as she straightened up as much as she could on his lap.

“But we can’t keep doing this,” She motioned between them. “I won’t. You’re either with me or you’re not,” She told him as her chest tightened. “There is no in between, it’s too hard.” She took a deep breath and shifted pushing herself off his lap and standing on shaky legs as she fixed her dress. “We need to make a decision and stick to it because this isn’t fair…why can’t we just have both, why do we have to choose?” She asked him desperately not caring if she was making things harder at the moment.

Tonight had been an eye opener for her. Regardless of whether or not they were together it wasn’t going to make the way she felt about him go away. Staying away from him when all she wanted was to be with him, well it was only going to make her miserable and lose sight of what they were trying to accomplish. It had taken an explosion and a hard knock to the head for her to understand that, but she finally did.

Oliver stood as well, wincing at the discomfort in his pants. His chest was tight at the thought of losing Chloe. He knew she was right and this wasn’t fair to either one of them and they couldn’t keep going back and forth this way. Oliver had been so sure that they couldn’t be together because it would distract him or put the team in jeopardy somehow, but that was exactly what he’d been doing by trying to stay away from Chloe.

His head hadn’t been in the game all week and he’d been snapping at everyone instead of trying to find a new way to stop Lex. It had almost cost Chloe her life and he was never going to make that mistake again.

He moved toward her, reaching out to stroke her hair as he wrapped his other arm around her waist. “I want to be with you, Chloe.” Oliver leaned down and kissed her softly. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I thought I was doing what was best for everyone. You’re all I want,” he told her before he lowered his mouth to hers.

Her body relaxed and she kissed him back, sliding one hand up his chest to the back of his neck as the other gripping his forearm. She didn’t break apart until air was necessary and when she did, she rested her forehead against his. “Thank god…I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do if you decided you didn’t,” She joked lightly as she tilted her head back so she could get a god look at his face.

“And in case I haven’t made it clear, I want to be with you too…Nothing else matters so don’t apologize, because I went along with your ridiculous idea, because I thought it was what was best for everyone else too. I’ve since changed my mind,” She told him lightly, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

Oliver grinned. “I can think of a few things you can do with me,” he teased. He kissed the tip of her nose before kissing her lips again. “But not tonight,” he said. Oliver tilted her face up so he could look into her eyes. He didn’t want her to think that he was changing his mind or that he didn’t want her, but he cared too much about her to just ravish her on his couch, no matter how tempting the idea was.

“It’s late and you’ve been through hell,” he said. His arm tightened around her waist as the horrors of the night came back into his mind. He forced himself to relax. Chloe was in his arms and she was okay. He was going to make sure she stayed that way.

“Chloe, you mean too much to me to rush this,” Oliver said. He trailed his lips lightly over her neck, tasting her skin. “I want to take my time and show you how I feel about you.” His tongue darted out to trace her pulse point as he held her gaze. “We should get some sleep,” he whispered as he sucked the sensitive skin into his mouth.

Her body melted into his as she tilted her head to the side, giving him better access to her neck as her hand threaded into the back of his hair, a small moan leaving her throat. Chloe’s other hand slid back under his shirt rubbing lazy circles over his abdomen. “Your mouth is moving, and I hear what you’re saying, but I don’t think your lips got the message,” She said in a breathy voice as she once again pressed against him.

Oliver laughed. “You might have a point there,” he said. He kissed her one more time and then forced himself to move back as he reached for her hand. “Why don’t we go upstairs? I can find you something to wear and then we can get some sleep. Sleep,” he stressed teasingly as his eyes roamed over her again. Now that he knew he could touch her, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to stop. But he knew she was exhausted and if they didn’t go to bed soon, the sun was going to be up.

Chloe laced her fingers through his hand her heart warming as she leaned into his side. She couldn’t help the increase in her heartbeat at the way he kept saying ‘we’. “Sleep…of course, so does this mean I no longer get one of the guest rooms?” She asked lightly a hint of humor in her face as she gave him a sideways glance while letting him lead her towards the stairs.

“That depends,” Oliver said thoughtfully as he led her up the stairs and into the master bedroom. He let go of her hand and walked over to the dresser, pulling out one of his t-shirts for her. He held the shirt out to her as he did his best to keep his expression serious. “Do you think you can keep your hands to yourself if you sleep in here with me?”

Chloe let out a snort of laughter and rolled her eyes while taking the shirt from him amusement on her face. “You’re just lucky I like you despite the fact that your ego takes up the _entire_ apartment.” She teased while glancing around his room. It was big and moderately decorated. Her eyes fell on the large bed and she swallowed hard before shaking herself out of her thoughts and glancing back at Oliver. She motioned towards him as she spoke. “Come on be all gentlemanly, turn around,” She told him lightly.

“Seriously?” Oliver asked in surprise. “You do remember what happened downstairs, right?” As he said the words, his mind conjured up images of her body beneath his fingers and his mouth and he felt himself starting to get hard again. “Actually, you have a point.”

He was really bad at this boundaries thing. He turned away from Chloe and started pulling off his own clothes. “Just let me know when it’s safe to turn around,” he said as he shrugged off his shirt and started to undo his belt.

Her eyes widened. “Wait stop,” She said as her pulse started to quicken again, the sight of his naked back making her mouth water. God he was perfect. Was there anything that wasn’t amazing about the man in front of her? He was like sex on legs and she wasn’t used to undressing so casually in front of people.

It was different when you were in the heat of the moment and going at it, but this…this somehow felt more intimate and she was pretty sure if she saw once more ounce of flesh she was going to pounce on him and that was just embarrassing. Chloe quickly snapped herself out of her thoughts as she spoke stumbling over her words slightly. “I…you should change in the bathroom. That just makes more sense…You know?” She said while nodding. “Yes go do that won’t you?”

Confused, Oliver glanced at her over his shoulder and he tried not to smirk at the look on her face. He was glad he wasn’t the only one affected by their close proximity. “Sure, I can do that.” He’d planned on just stripping down to his boxers, but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, so he went back to the dresser and grabbed another t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants.

“I’ll be right back.” He went into the bathroom, closed the door and leaned heavily against it as he let out a deep breath. He was already starting to rethink the sleeping arrangements. He’d been teasing Chloe before, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep _his_ hands to himself. He reminded himself that Chloe had been through a lot and he couldn’t just maul her like an animal. Oliver rolled his head back and forth to try and ease the tension there and started to change his clothes.

Chloe stared at the closed door attempting to pull herself together. She would not sexually harass Oliver in his sleep. He wasn’t _that_ good looking…Who the hell was she trying to kid? She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she reached behind herself and unzipped the dress. She pushed down the straps letting it fall from her body and hesitated for a second before unhooking her bra and letting that drop to the ground as well.

She tugged Oliver’s shirt over her head and in fell to just below her thighs. Chloe lifted her dress and bra off the floor, folded them and placed them on top of the dresser as she stood there awkwardly not really sure what to do. She needed to stop freaking out and try to get her heartbeat to slow down. Oliver was probably in the bathroom thinking she was crazy or something.

Chloe just needed to keep her resolve. She couldn’t sleep with Oliver yet. She should have some standards and at least wait until he bought her a cup of coffee before she had tons of hot sex with him...The thought made her lick her lips. The sound of the bathroom door opening pulled her from her thoughts as she glanced towards the door.

Oliver opened the door slowly, giving her time to tell him if she wasn’t dressed yet. When she didn’t say anything, he opened the door the rest of the way and walked back into the room. He tried not to stare, but he couldn’t help letting his eyes trail over her as she stood there in his t-shirt.

He swallowed to moisten his dry throat and moved toward the closet to toss his clothes in the hamper. “Do you need anything else?” he asked. “Water or something?” He moved over to the bed and pulled the blankets back, noting her hesitation. “Chloe, if you’d rather sleep in one of the guest rooms, that’s fine. Or I could,” he offered. He didn’t want to pressure her into anything she wasn’t ready for.

She bit her bottom lip. “No thank you, and its fine, I just,” She paused and shrugged. “This is new to me so I’m just navigating.” She said while walking towards the other side of the bed. “I don’t usually do co-ed sleepovers,” She joked, “To many things in my life can potentially go wrong to have someone spend the night…so it’s just weird. I think you’re the first person that’s known everything,” She said softly and gave him a warm smile before pulling back the covers on her side and sliding into the bed.

She arched an eyebrow as her body molded into the mattress. She let out a small groan as her body hit the cool sheets and she relaxed into the pillows. “God your bed is comfy.” She told him softly.

“You’re the first person who has ever known who I really am too,” Oliver said. He watched her for a minute as she snuggled into his bed and he decided he really liked the way she looked between his sheets. He forced himself to stop staring and crawled into bed beside her. He pulled the blankets around them and settled back against his pillow as he finally let himself relax.

His body was exhausted and his mind was finally starting to catch up. He leaned over and pressed a light kiss to her lips. “Good night, Chloe.” He moved back to his side of the bed and then changed his mind, shifting closer to her as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body against his as he let his eyes drift shut.

Chloe bit her lower lip at how absolutely adorable he was as she rested her head against his chest and yawned before mumbling a quiet _‘good night’_ and cuddling closer to him, smile on her face as she drifted off to sleep beside him.


	12. Chapter 12

“Thank you, sir. Please enjoy the rest of your day,” Tess said. Her tone was sickeningly sweet as she ended the call and slammed the phone back into its cradle. She had to resist the urge to bang her head against the desk along with it. She hadn’t gotten any sleep the night before and the conference call had lasted nearly two hours.

The deal was done though and once she sent the paperwork to Oliver to sign, everything would be official and she was never going to have to deal with that horrid man again. She had half a mind to break up his company just to spite him but she knew that wasn’t what was best for Queen Industries. Aggravated with everything, Tess stood up, made sure the knot holding her robe in place was secure and padded barefoot through the apartment toward the kitchen.

Hal was still sleeping and she made a point not to make too much noise as she poured herself another cup of coffee and took it back into the living room. She stood in front of the window, looking out at the city as she sipped her drink. She was tired, but she knew there was no point in attempting to go back to bed. Her mind hadn’t stopped since they’d left the farm. She couldn’t get the image of Chloe and Lois emerging from the burning building out of her head. Tess knew they were safe and they weren’t hurt, but Lex was never going to stop. He easily could have killed both of them and then gone on with his day like nothing had happened. The thought made her sick.

Tess knew she had to do something. She couldn’t just sit idly by anymore and let Lex continue to hurt innocent people. She closed her eyes for a moment as she considered her options. She’d been thinking about this all night and she knew there was only one conclusion. She had to come forward and tell the world who she was. She had to fight Lex for control of the Luthor fortune. She knew it wouldn’t suddenly make him a good person, but it would be a distraction for him. People who were distracted made mistakes and when Lex made his mistake, Oliver, Hal and the others would take him down. It was the only way.

She took another long sip of her coffee and tried to imagine what it was going to be like when the whole world found out that she was the bastard child of Lionel Luthor. All her anonymity would be gone. The press would hound her and her friends. She wasn’t worried about Oliver, but she really didn’t want Hal or his family thrust into the spotlight. Tess knew he would stand by her no matter what but she still felt guilty that she was going to put him through this. She was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn’t hear his footsteps coming down the hallway.

Hal rubbed a hand over his face as he made his way out of the bedroom. He’d woken up a few minutes ago alone and figured Tess was probably still on her conference call, but when he’d checked her office no one was in there. He heard some shuffling in the living room and made his way into the room. He caught sight of Tess back to him as she stood in front of the window. He frowned slightly at the ridged stance of her body and yawned before wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

He pressed a kiss against her shoulder as he shifted his gaze towards where she was looking. “Morning Red…I’m surprised you’re still up. I thought you were coming back to bed when the call was over,” He said lightly as he tried to decipher her mood. She had seemed off since last night and at first he thought maybe it was the shock of everything that happened, but now he wasn’t so sure.

Tess jumped a little when she felt his arms around her and then relaxed against him. “I was going to but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep and I didn’t want to wake you.” She stayed where she was for a moment, taking comfort in his familiar embrace and then she sighed and turned around so she was facing him.

“Can we talk for a minute?” she asked quietly. Tess knew Hal wasn’t going to like what she had to say. They’d been together long enough to have had their share of disagreements, but she didn’t want to fight with him about this.

Hal tensed slightly, worry on his face as he nodded. “Of course, come on let’s sit down,” He said softly as he lead her towards the couch. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he knew it had to be serious for her to be pulling out the ‘can we talk’ card. And Hal had a feeling it had something to do with last night. He sat down and motioned for her to sit next to him. “What’s on your mind?” He asked lightly.

She set her coffee down on the table before taking the seat beside him, pulling her legs onto the couch tucking them underneath her body as she sat down. Tess saw the worry on his face and felt guilty for putting it there, especially since she knew she was about to make it worse. “Lex tried to kill Chloe and Lois last night. He easily could have too if we hadn’t been out or I had dropped them off a few minutes earlier,” she said. Tess knew a lot of factors had gone into the night and she was relieved everything had worked out. But she knew it might not next time and that was a chance she was not willing to take.

“He needs to be stopped, Hal.” Tess bit down on the corner of her lip, tension moving through her body as she met his eyes. “I want to come forward. I want to file a lawsuit against him for my share of the Luthor inheritance. I know what you’re going to say,” she rushed on before he had a chance to open his mouth.

“The money doesn’t matter to me and I don’t care if Lex wants to keep this tied up in court forever. It will distract him and he’ll make a mistake. Then you guys can catch him and put him behind bars where he belongs.” Tess was pleased with the confidence she heard in her voice. It was the direct opposite of the churning in the pit of her stomach.

Hal’s mouth dropped open as he stared at his girlfriend. That was the last thing he’d been expecting to hear from her. He pursed his lips, pausing to gather his thoughts so he didn’t automatically jump on the defensive. Arguing with Tess wasn’t something he wanted to do, especially this early in the morning. He cocked his head to the side and studied his girlfriend. She looked one hundred and ten percent serious.

“I understand why you think this might be a good solution,” He said carefully, “But Tess you need to look at the consequences that would come along with this decision.” He told her and pointed towards the door. “If you tell these people, the general public would never leave you alone and if that’s not enough, Lex will know.” He said his jaw tightening.

“He’ll come after you Tess. How is that smart? I just want you to think more about what this’ll mean for you…for us.” He said, his brows creased. “You don’t want to be in Lex Luthor’s sights…just ask Chloe and Lois,” He told her while leaning back against the couch and watching her face as she thought about his words.

“Chloe and Lois almost died yesterday, but do you think for one second either one of them is sorry for taking on Lex?” Tess asked. It certainly didn’t look that way from her perspective. She was willing to bet both women were probably more determined than ever to bring him down and she knew Oliver would be too after almost losing Chloe. “I’m not afraid of him, Hal. You’re right, he probably will come after me, but I know that you and Oliver and everyone else will keep me safe.”

She really wasn’t afraid of Lex. There was a part of her that was afraid of the stigma that would come with the Luthor name. She wasn’t looking forward to the whispers and the stares and the field day the gossip magazines were going to have with her life.

She’d had a brief taste of it years ago when she’d started working for Oliver and everyone had assumed she was his girlfriend. But the press had let that non-existent story go after a few months and she had gone on with her life. Tess knew it wouldn’t be that simple this time, but she could handle it. She had been through a lot worse in her life.

But the one thing she could not handle was losing Hal. His words echoed in her head and she hesitated as she wondered what he’d meant when he’d said what this would mean for them. Tess knew he loved her, but he had his own secret to protect. Maybe being in the media spotlight wouldn’t be a good idea for him.

She swallowed hard to stop the lump that was rising in her throat. “I’d understand if you don’t want to be a part of this.” Her voice shook a little and Tess forced herself to get a grip. “You could go back to Coast City. People wouldn’t have to know that we were together,” she said uncertainly.

Hal looked shocked at her words. “You want me to leave?” He asked hurt in his voice. He shook his head and frowned. “I’m not going anywhere. If you’re determined to do this then I’ll stand by you, I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were doing,” He said softly as he reached out and cupped her cheek in an attempt to reassure her and make sure she knew he wasn’t going anywhere.

“Are you sure about this?” He asked his had sill on her face as he searched her eyes. “This is going to be a very big deal, but like I said as long as you’re sure I’m here,” He said pausing slightly. “Even if I don’t agree with your decision.” He told her.

“I don’t want you to leave,” Tess said as she leaned into his touch. She placed her hand over his, holding it tighter against her face. “I love you and I need you. I’m not sure I can do this on my own. I know this is a big deal and it’s going to be awful,” she said bluntly. There was no other way to describe it. “But I feel like this is something I have to do. I’ve been thinking about it since the day Chloe came into my office and told me who I really was.” 

She could see that he was still skeptical and Tess understood that. She shifted closer to him on the couch and trailed her hand over his chest as she spoke. “Hal, take me out of the equation. Forget your feelings for me and look at the situation. This could work. All we have to do is distract Lex long enough to make a mistake. I can do this,” she said. Once again her voice sounded a lot more confident than she actually felt.

He hesitated, not wanting to agree with her, but knowing she was right. Something of this magnitude would definitely distract Lex long enough for him to slip up and for the team to finally get the proof they needed to put Lex away. Hal nodded. “I know you’re right,” He told her softly. “I just worry about you that’s all,” He said as he brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss against it. He let out a long breath and gave her half a smile. “So…When exactly are you planning to do this?” He asked wondering how soon they could expect things to get slightly crazy around them.

Tess leaned over and pressed her lips firmly against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss, only pulling back when air became an issue. “I love you and I appreciate your support especially because I know you don’t agree with me.” She brushed her hand over his cheek and gave him another quick kiss.

“I don’t know how soon any of this is going to happen. I need to talk to Oliver. I’m sure he’ll be on board, but this is going to have ramifications for the company. There will be rumors that I was a plant all along or something ridiculous.” She rolled her eyes at the thought as she shifted again and rested her head against Hal’s shoulder. “We’ll need to call a lawyer and bring him all of the proof that Chloe came across.” Her voice trailed off as she realized there was a lot more work that was going to have to go into this entire thing. 

She would have to be careful to do everything by the book or Lex would find a loophole and shut her down before she was able to make any kind of case. “We’ll have to find the right media outlet as well. I don’t think the Planet will want the story but Oliver probably knows someone we can trust.” Tess lifted her head from his shoulder and met his eyes again. “Are you sure you can do this? The reporters are going to drag you into this too.”

Hal tightened his arm around her and pressed a kiss a kiss to her head. “I love you too, obviously,” He said with a small grin as he leaned back against the couch pulling her closer. “I’m sure.” He said as he gave her a sideways glance and met her eyes. “Stop asking me that,” He said sternly, “I can do this. I know what it’s going to be like, but I’m here anyway.” He told her lightly. “Besides I’m sort of looking forward to seeing the look on Lex’s face when he finds out about you,” He said with half a grin as he rubbed a hand down her arm lightly.

“Since you obviously aren’t going to bed any time soon, how about I make you some breakfast and we go over some of the finer details of this plan of yours,” He eyed her though his gaze wasn’t. “We can let Olive in on it a little later…does that sound okay?” He asked her.

“That sounds better than okay,” Tess said. It meant a lot to her that he wanted to be there for her even though they both knew it was going to be a messy, bumpy road. She pressed a kiss to his jaw. “But I do have one little change to your plan. I don’t know about you, but I’m really not that hungry.” She trailed her hand over his chest again before moving it down his stomach and stopping just above the waistband of his pants.

“I was actually thinking about taking a shower.” She slipped her hand under his shirt and ran her fingers over his bare skin, tracing the lines of his abs. “Would you care to join me?” she asked lightly. 

His muscles clenched under her hand and his eyes darkened slightly as he met her eyes, his grip tightening on her as he arched an eyebrow. God he loved this woman. “Do you even need to ask?” He replied, voice low before standing quickly and tugging her up with him. He didn’t give her a chance to say anything before he lifted her up and over his shoulder, grin on his face as he headed towards the bathroom.

 

______

 

 

Lois impatiently paced the kitchen, glancing at the clock for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past ten minutes. She sighed and pushed up the sleeves on the flannel shirt she wore before making her way to the refrigerator and searching the contents again. She’d woken up alone in Clark’s bed nearly two hours ago.

He’d left her a note saying that he was going to the Talon to see if he could salvage anything from the apartment and she knew he also wanted to see if he could figure out where the bombs had been planted. She appreciated that he was doing that, but she wished he would hurry up and get back already.

She closed the refrigerator without taking anything out and walked over to the table, dropping down into one of the chairs. Her whole body was sore and she’d felt a little better after the long shower she’d taken, but now everything was starting to hurt again. She wanted to call Chloe and see how she was doing, but she didn’t want to wake her up if she was still sleeping. Lois sighed. She knew there wasn’t anything she could do but wait and she hated waiting.

Her mind drifted back to the previous night’s revelations. She still couldn’t believe that Oliver and Hal were the vigilantes Clark had been so upset about. She also couldn’t believe how ugly things had gotten between them. Lois knew it was hard for Clark to let people in, but he had to realize that he didn’t have to carry the whole world on his shoulders.

People like Oliver and Hal could help him if he would just give them a chance. She heard the front door open and close and got up, groaning when she moved too fast and a sharp pain shot through her back. “Clark, is that you?” she called.

Clark made his way into the house brushing soot off his clothes as Lois called out to him. “Yeah, it’s me,” He said with a sigh as he walked down the hallway. He hadn’t slept well last night so he’d left early that morning to take a walk through of the Talon. He hadn’t been able to salvage much, but what he could was in his truck.

That hadn’t been the real reason he went there though. He wanted to try and see where the explosion originated. Clark wound up finding the remnants of several bombs throughout the apartment and it had made his heart sink. There were obviously back-up bombs to the original one planted to make sure if the first one didn’t get them the others would.

He couldn’t believe Lex was still doing this and that he’d tried to kill Lois. Lex had been after Chloe for years, but bringing Lois into the mix now because of the article was uncalled for. He made his way into the kitchen and saw her standing. Clark’s brow furrowed as he walked over towards her closing the distance between them as he cupped her cheek carefully.

“How are you feeling this morning?” He asked while tilting her head to the side so he could get a better look at some of the cuts and bruises there. He knew she was okay, but he worried and after yesterday they couldn’t be too careful. “Why are you out of bed?” He asked her lightly figuring she would have slept in later after everything that had happened.

“I couldn’t sleep anymore,” Lois admitted. She gave him a small smile, knowing that he was looking over her injuries. “I’m sore but the shower helped. I think I just got up too fast.” She placed her hand on his arm, needing the contact. Even though she was trying her hardest not to focus on it, Lois knew she could have died last night and that was a lot to deal with. “Did you find anything that wasn’t burned to a crisp?” she asked. She’d attempted to keep her tone playful, but she couldn’t quite pull it off. There was nothing funny about what had happened and they both knew it.

Clark wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer as he nodded towards the front door. “I’ve got some stuff in the truck, but not much,” He said softly before cupping both her cheeks in his hands. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get more out,” He said sincerely. Lois hadn’t really freaked out about losing everything yet and Clark wondered if there would be a delayed reaction to that.

“I was able to find all the bombs, there were four.” He said not wanting to bring up more memories from last night, but knowing it was something she’d want to know. “I still can’t believe that the Talon was destroyed,” He said as he ushered her towards the table in the kitchen. He could tell that she seemed anxious and he wondered what else was going through her mind. “Talk to me Lois…what’s going through your head?” He asked her lightly.

“Too many things,” Lois replied. She sank back into the chair she’d been sitting in before he’d come home, careful not to move too fast this time. She kept Clark’s hand in hers as she met his gaze with tired eyes. “I don’t think it’s really set in yet that everything is gone and I won’t let myself think about what could have happened to Chloe and me.”

Her chest tightened and Lois stopped talking for a moment to let out a shaky breath. “It’s too much to think about. Lex put bombs in our apartment, Clark. I know he hates us but…” She shook her head. It was too much for her to think about that right now. She squeezed Clark’s hand and tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. She was okay and Chloe was okay. That was what mattered.

Lois took another deep breath until she felt herself starting to relax. She could see the concern in Clark’s eyes and she thought it was time to change the subject. “We need to talk about what happened last night with Oliver. Honey, you know I love you, but you did not handle things well. Why were you so upset?” she asked.

Clark frowned slightly at the change of subject. He knew they were going to have to talk about it eventually, but he’d hoped they could wait on that, apparently not. He sighed and shifted into the seat next to her while keeping her hand in his. He hesitated for a second before speaking. “After you fell asleep last night, I did a little research on Oliver and his alter ego,” He told her, his brow creasing.

“This…Green Arrow, he steals Lois. He steals from people and blows up Lex’s facilities and he just doesn’t handle things the way we do. Chloe used to under the way I worked…and I thought once we told you my secret, we could all work together to stop Lex and maybe…I don’t know try to help him find his way back to the man he used to be.” He said quietly.

“I can see now, after last night, that’s probably not going to happen and that hurts…not as much as losing you would have hurt, but I just don’t think Oliver and I see eye to eye on how to handle things from this point on. And the worst part is…Chloe agrees with him.” He told her softly hurt on his face. “She just walked out and left with the three of them. It’s like we weren’t even here.”

Clark shook his head and glanced down. “I don’t know. Things between Chloe and I haven’t been great in a while and I guess I’m just wondering how that happened and when she decided to trust and work with people who weren’t us.” He said quietly. “And Oliver…I seriously don’t like that guy. He just waltzes in here thinking he knows everything. He’s abrasive and he doesn’t think clearly and he doesn’t even know about Chloe, it’s obvious she hasn’t told him, yet she wants me to just trust him because she supposedly does?” He ranted a hint of anger on his face before he glanced at his girlfriend and deflated slightly. “I’m upset…”

“I know you are,” Lois said softly. She let go of Clark’s hand and ran her fingers through his hair as she tried to figure out where to start. She understood why he was upset but she also knew that he wasn’t seeing the big picture. “Clark, I know you thought you could save Lex and I’m sorry that you can’t. I really am,” she said.

Lois didn’t give a damn about Lex or his soul, but she knew Clark did and she was honestly sorry that this was hurting him so much. “I know he was your friend once and there’s always going to be a part of you that wants that back but it’s important that you remember he’s an adult and he’s made these decisions to hurt people, to  _kill_  them and there is no going back from that.” She gave him a minute to let all of that sink in before she continued.

“Chloe has seen Lex for who he really is for awhile now,” she said. Lois brushed her thumb over the skin under his eye gently as she spoke. “It’s kind of hard to ignore someone who is out to make your life a living hell. He blames her for Lana leaving him and since he can’t find Lana he’s making Chloe suffer. I don’t know Oliver very well but from what I understand, he’s known Lex a long time. They went to school together and they’re business rivals and then he’s got the whole Green Arrow thing going on so he’s seen Lex for who he really is too.” Lois paused when she saw Clark open his mouth and shook her head.

“Let me finish, honey,” she said gently. Clark had gotten his rant off his chest and now she needed him to listen to her. “Chloe and Oliver are on the same page but it doesn’t have to be an ‘us versus them’ mentality. It’s not all or nothing here, Clark. You told me that when you met Oliver and Hal, before you knew who they were, that Oliver wanted you to work together. I know you think you need to do this by yourself, but you don’t,” she stressed. Lois knew Clark didn’t like letting people in, but she didn’t like him carrying the world on his shoulders. It was too much for one person no matter how many super powers he had at his disposal.

“You can’t believe everything you read, Clark, about Oliver or his alter ego. There has to be more to that stealing thing, Clark. The man is a billionaire so I doubt he’s hurting for money,” Lois pointed out. She could see Clark still wasn’t convinced. She reached for his hand again and held it tightly in hers.

“He was upset last night, Clark, but that’s only because he cares about Chloe so much. I know you’re hurt and upset, but if you try to see past that for a minute, you’ll know I’m right. Just think of how scared you were for me; that’s what Oliver was going through. You can’t blame Chloe for leaving with him either. She was almost blown up and she just needed to be with Oliver so she could feel safe. All I wanted last night was to be in your arms. Chloe wanted to be in Oliver’s,” she said.

“So what, now you and I aren’t enough to protect her? She doesn’t feel safe with us anymore? Lois Chloe has been my best friend since we were kids, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep her safe,” He grumbled and then let out a sigh. He knew Lois was right. He knew what she was saying was the truth and if he was going to keep Lois safe then they’d probably all have to work together, but it didn’t mean that he was going to start seeing things Oliver’s way.

“I don’t like how he does things,” He told her quietly and before she could say anything he continued. “But, I’ll talk to him and see if we can work something out.” He said quietly while meeting Lois’s eyes. He knew this was important to his girlfriend and he loved Lois and would do anything to make her happy.

“You know he told me they weren’t together, obviously he has a lying problem too,” he mumbled and slouched in his chair. “But like I said I’ll talk to him…Maybe we can come to some kind of…understanding,” He said lightly not happy about it, but knowing they needed to do something. They couldn’t just ignore each other until he went back to California, especially if his girlfriend was going to be hanging out with them.

“They’re not together,” Lois said. She thought about the way Chloe had been clinging to Oliver on the couch. “Well, they weren’t, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they are soon. Chloe is crazy about him and it’s pretty obvious that he’s crazy about her too.” She smiled to herself. She was glad her cousin had found someone who made her happy. She just hoped they got past whatever it was that had been keeping them apart.

She pushed those thought aside and focused on Clark. “Seriously, Clark, it’s not that Chloe doesn’t trust you to protect her. She just wants to be with Oliver.” Lois gave him a look, wondering if she was going to have to explain what it meant when two people couldn’t keep their hands to themselves.

“I’m glad you’re willing to talk to him. Even if you don’t see eye to eye, we’re all on the same side and it would be a lot easier for everyone, especially Chloe, if you two attempted to put your differences aside and work together. I don’t know where we go from here though,” Lois admitted.

She knew Lex wasn’t going to stop trying to kill them just because he had failed once. He was too smart to leave anything that could be traced back to him at the Talon and she highly doubted he planted the bombs himself anyway. He had scapegoats for that. “I was going to call Chloe, but I didn’t want to bother her if she was actually managing to get some sleep.” Or doing other things with Oliver, she added silently.

Clark rubbed his thumb over her hand. “I’m not sure where we go from here either, but one thing I do know is you aren’t leaving this house without me,” He said sternly. He knew if Lex really was trying to kill Lois it wasn’t something he’d just stop doing, which meant they needed to be careful and think smart. He always had backup plans for his backup plans.

“We know he most likely targeted you because of the article you wrote so maybe from now on you should be a little more careful with the things you write? Try and ease him into a false sense of security so he thinks he scared you? Maybe that will by us some time to figure out what he’s planning?” He asked trying to see what she thought of the plan not wanting to make Lois do anything she wasn’t comfortable with.

“No,” Lois said. She pulled back from Clark and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not going to play nice and let Lex win. It’s bad enough that he censors nearly every important story that happens here in case it might make him look bad. I’m not going to cower like I’m afraid of him. I’m not afraid of him.” Lois jutted her chin out stubbornly.

She understood where Clark was coming from and she loved him for being concerned about her but Lois Lane had never been the type of person who hid from anything and she wasn’t about to start now.

“Look, Clark, I promise you that I’m not going to do anything stupid. I won’t antagonize Lex or accuse him of trying to kill me even though we all knew what he did. But I’m not going to hide out here or anywhere else. I’m going to do my job and Chloe and I will find a new place to live and life will go on. You and Oliver and Hal and whoever else can find a way to bring him down, but I’m not going to stop being myself. That’s what Lex wants and I will not let him win,” she said firmly.

Clark pursed his lips and pulled his away from hers as he leaned back in his chair. “I know you aren’t afraid of Lex, I said pretend,” He pointed out, “And I never said hide out here. All I said was to play it cool and tone it down a bit,” He told her with a sigh. “Just so we can make him think he got to you. You know how he gets smug and stuff, I just thought it could help us find something on him, but forget it.” He said before glancing down at the table his chest tightening slightly at the rest of her words.

“And, I mean, well I sort of thought maybe you could stay at the farm…indefinitely, if you wanted to.” He said quietly while looking back up at her. “I have the room,” He said softly, “And I know it’s kind of soon, but I don’t see myself with anyone but you Lois.” He told her, his voice low. “I mean if you’re not comfortable or you think it’s too soon I understand. But I want you to know that the option is there…” He said letting his voice trail off as he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

Lois’s eyes went wide with surprise. She hadn’t expected Clark to ask her to move in with him, especially after she’d more or less bitten his head off even though she knew he was only trying to help. She opened her mouth and then closed it, not sure what to say. Was she ready for that? Moving in with someone was a big step and commitment had never really been her forte.

The past few years that she’d lived in Smallville had been the longest she’d ever lived in one place. It actually felt like home. Or it did before everything she owned was blown up. She looked at Clark for a moment, saw the hesitation and uncertainty in his eyes and she knew this was a big deal for him too.

“Clark, I…” Lois hesitated. Logically, she wanted to tell him that it was too soon. They had only been dating for a few months and they’d been careful not to rush anything. But as Lois watched him, she knew without a doubt that Clark Kent was it for her. She’d never believed in soul mates or destiny or any of that mumbo jumbo that they used to sell novels and bad movies, but she loved Clark more than she’d ever thought it was possible to love anyone and the idea of living with him, of spending forever with him, it didn’t scare her the way it should.  

“Yes,” she said. A smile broke out across her face and she cupped Clark’s cheeks in her hands and kissed him firmly. “I’d love to live with you, Smallville.”

A bright smile broke out on Clark’s face and relief filled his eyes as he shifted forward and cupped her cheek, capturing her lips with his in a soft kiss. When he pulled back he gave her an affectionate look and brushing a thumb across her cheek. “I’m really glad you said yes,” He told her softly before pressing his lips against hers again.

Clark only broke the kiss when air was an issue. He grinned at her and motioned towards the hallway. “I should probably grab the stuff I was able to salvage from the truck. I know your sore, do you maybe want me to run you a bath after I do that? Maybe the hot water will help the sore muscles?” He asked, “And that way you don’t have to stand like in the shower,” He told her lightly with a warm smile.

Lois nodded. “That’s probably a good idea.” Her body was already starting to ache again just from sitting in the chair for too long. She smiled as she watched Clark head for the door. She couldn’t believe they were going to be living together. Lois smiled to herself as she thought about how happy her answer had made him. It had made her pretty happy too. At least one good thing was going to come out of this nightmare.

 

______

 

Chloe shifted on the couch in an attempt to get comfortable and winced. She held her breath slightly as she pulled her bare legs onto the couch. Her entire body was sore and every time she moved it felt like she was overexerting every muscle she had. Between the mixture of adrenalin and then after everything that had happened with her and Oliver, well the night had finally caught up with her. She had been up for hours, but stayed in bed until Oliver was woken by a phone call he had to take for work.

It was close to noon and she'd been sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee for the last thirty minutes. She was pretty sure this was the longest it had ever taken her to drink coffee before and normally that would upset her, but despite the situation she was in, the pain, the lack of an apartment, clothes, and belongings, Chloe couldn't help the smile that was on her lips. She and Oliver were together...or at least she was pretty sure they were.

Her brows furrowed, she'd have to talk to him about that, but they had both admitted how they felt about each other last night and the weight that had been weighing her down for the past week was finally gone. Chloe felt like she could breathe again. She hated putting distance between her and Oliver, but at the time it was the only way she was able to deal with her feelings for him without crossing the lines that he'd drawn for them.

Luckily that was no longer an issue. Her hands gripped the mug, her smile brightening, face flushing as she thought back to the way they had woken up that morning. Chloe had been wrapped protectively in his arms practically every part of his body tangled with her, which at the time had been slightly painful when she tried to move, but so beyond worth it.  Oliver Queen was apparently a closet cuddler and Chloe found that absolutely adorable. 

She shook herself out of her thoughts and shifted again, cringing at the pain that radiated throughout her back. Chloe grunted slightly and pouted as she attempted to stretch out on the couch. She was seriously going to stab Lex the next time she saw him. She wanted to go back to last night where Oliver's hands were all over her and the only thing she felt was the anticipation from his gentle caresses.

She closed her eyes, biting the corner of her lip even as a grin formed on her face. God he had amazing hands. Chloe bent her knee slightly and his shirt that she was wearing rode up. She lay there on the couch, back against the arm rest one leg straight out the other bent, foot flat as she rested the mug of coffee on her thigh. Chloe was so busy conjuring up naughty images of Oliver, that she didn't even hear the object of her affections enter the room.

The business call had taken longer than Oliver had anticipated and he was more than a little irritated at being kept from Chloe for so long as he made his way down the hall to the living room. He started to call out to her, but he stopped when he saw her on the couch, eyes closed and a secretive smile on her face. He let his eyes travel over her bare legs and when he saw how much his shirt had ridden up on her thighs; his throat went dry as all the blood rushed out of his head. Oliver remembered all too well what it had been like to finally touch her and kiss her and he really wanted to do it again.

But he knew she’d woken up sore even though she’d tried to downplay it and they had a lot of things to talk about so he couldn’t just pull her into his arms and pick up where they’d left off the night before no matter how much he wanted to.

Oliver forced himself to stop staring and cleared his throat to get her attention. “Sorry that took so long,” he said as he crossed the room to the couch. He couldn’t help the smirk that spread across his face at the startled look she gave him. “Something on your mind?” he teased.

Chloe flushed. “No,” She rolled her eyes, “Nosy,” She said though there was a hint of amusement on her face. “Its fine, work comes first. Is everything okay?” She asked lightly while shifting to give him more room. She scrunched her nose to hide the wince and wondered just how long it was going to be until it didn’t feel like her body was ransacked by a truck. She wondered briefly how Lois was feeling today and made a mental note to call her cousin when she and Oliver were done talking.

She lifted the newspaper that had fallen to her side when she was busy picturing Oliver in all different states of undress and arched an eyebrow in his direction waiting for his answer as she placed it back on her lap.

“Everything is fine. We’re just trying to finish up a deal with a Japanese company. Tess did most of the groundwork but now I have to sign the contracts so the legal department is going over everything.” Oliver shrugged as he sat down beside her. It was just a standard hassle.

He was more concerned about her and the noticeable pain on her face every time she moved. “Are you sure you don’t want something stronger?” He had offered her some of the muscle relaxers he kept on hand, but she’d said she was fine with regular aspirin. “Maybe you should go to the hospital and let the doctors check you over,” he suggested.

Chloe tilted her head to the side and gave him a semi-stern look. “I’m fine. Honest, obviously I’m sore, but I was sort of blown up, so I think that’s normal,” She joked. “Hospital’s and I don’t mix, but thank you and the aspirin will work its magic eventually combined with my excess coffee drinking I’ll be up and about in no time.” She said lightly. She wasn’t really worried about the pain; it was more of an annoyance than anything. 

She hated not being able to move around as she pleased. Chloe glanced up and caught sight of him watching her. She gave him a questioning look, not able to read the expression on his face. “What’s wrong?” She asked softly while poking him in the side lightly with her toes. 

“Nothing is wrong,” Oliver said. “Aside from Lex almost killing you,” he said. Oliver shifted on the couch so he was facing her and draped one arm over the back of the couch while he let his other hand rest on her leg as he watched her for a moment. “We need to find a way to stop him, Chloe. This was too close and I’m not going to let him have another shot. I don’t care what it takes,” Oliver said darkly.

He hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before because his mind had been all over the place. He couldn’t help feeling like this was somehow his fault. He should have found a way to bring Lex down by now.

He pushed the thoughts aside and focused on Chloe. “Are you sure you don’t need anything else? I can make you breakfast. Or lunch,” he said since it was already afternoon. Oliver hated feeling useless and knowing that there was nothing he could do to ease her pain was driving him crazy. He wanted to make things better for her but he didn’t know how to do that. 

Chloe studied him for a minute before placing her hand over his and meeting his eyes. “I know that look…or at least I think I do,” She said quietly. “This was not your fault. Oliver, Lex has been coming after me for years and honestly this isn’t even the closest he’s gotten to killing me.” She told him softly. “We _will_ figure out a way to stop him. Together,” She said pointedly.

“Until then we just keep doing what we’re doing.” She said pausing for a minute. “I’m not too hungry at the moment, but maybe in a little while. All I really need right now is you,” She said while glancing down slightly embarrassed by her confession. She cleared her throat before glancing up and giving him a sheepish look as she lifted the newspaper off her lap in an attempt to change the subject.

“And of course a place to live. You would think that Metropolis would be full of apartments, but apparently it’s slim pickings…or I’m just picky,” She paused and tapped her chin. “Yeah, it’s probably that one.” She said with a small grin.

“Hey,” Oliver said. He took her face in his hands and forced her to meet his eyes. “You have me,” he told her quietly. “You have for a long time.” He caressed her cheek gently, wanting to give her a moment to let his words sink in. Oliver wanted Chloe to know how important she was to him and he didn’t want her to be embarrassed for needing him. He was more than happy to be there for her. He glanced down at the newspaper in her lap.  

“Chloe, you can stay here as long as you want to. There’s no reason for you to rush out and find a new place,” Oliver said. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable or push her, but he would feel a lot better if she was there and he knew she was safe.

Chloe’s face softened. “I know,” She said while gripping his arm lightly. “I just don’t want to invade your space,” She said lightly while tilting her head to the side. “And we just started this…whatever this is and I don’t want to rush things.” She told him.

It wasn’t that she was uncomfortable with Oliver; it was that they hadn’t really defined anything yet. They wanted to be with each other, they cared about each other, did that mean they were a couple now? How would that affect them working in the office together? And was this something they were going to keep to themselves or go public with? Chloe had so many questions and not enough answers.

She took a deep breath and gave him half a smile. “Maybe we should talk about what happened last night,” She said hesitation on her face not sure what his take on things were and wanted to get everything out in the open so there wouldn’t be any question about their relationship later on.

“We can do that,” Oliver said slowly. He was trying to read her expression, not sure where her head was at. Their relationship hadn’t exactly taken a normal path. Oliver wanted to be with Chloe and he was confident she wanted to be with him too, but he knew there were a lot of factors that they had to consider. “Last night has been a long time coming,” he said, figuring that was the most logical place to start the conversation. “I want you, Chloe, in every way,” he told her bluntly. Oliver knew it wasn’t going to be easy to keep his hands off of her, but he would if that’s what she wanted. “We don’t need to rush anything, but I want you to know that I’m not going anywhere."

Chloe flushed lightly at his words, but grinned. “Yeah I think I sort of got that last night,” She said her tone amused as she watched him. 

He reached for her hand and laced their fingers together. “You wouldn’t be invading my space, but if you want to stay in one of the guest rooms, that’s fine. Or if you’re really anxious to have your own space, maybe we can compromise.” Oliver didn’t like the idea of her living on her own, even with Lois, while Lex was still out there, but he understood why she might not be gung ho to move in with him considering he hadn’t even taken her out on a date.

“There’s another apartment in this building that the guys use when they’re in town. You could stay there. This is a secure building and the only people who have access besides me are Tess and Hal. Lois can stay there too if she wants to,” he added.

Chloe hesitated, “I’m glad,” She said, “That you’re not going anywhere I mean and I’m sure it’s more than obvious I want you too.” She pointed out while squeezing his hand lightly. “I was sort of more talking about where we stood. You and me?” She said lightly. “How is this going to work?” She asked while sitting up a little further.

“I work for you…and I guess that’s got to be a factor in our behavior, also are we going to keep things quiet?” She asked a hint of trepidation on her face. “I know that your life isn’t exactly quiet…not your day life and certainly not your night life, but I want you to know that I’m all in with this,” She motioned between them. “I care about you and I’m not going anywhere either, well unless you want me too obviously,” She joked while swallowing heavily.

“And I can understand if maybe you’re slightly anxious about the Lex issues,” She said casually knowing that was most likely the biggest factor as to why he offered her the apartment in the building. “If you want me to stay in the building _until_ we’ve taken care of Lex, I can live with that, though if I’m going to be here I might as well just stay here, because I’m sure it’s where most of my time will be spent anyway,” She said with a small grin.

“But after we get things squared away, I’m going to want to  find my own apartment and that’s not because being here makes me uncomfortable, or I don’t enjoy your company, it’s because I need my own space. I want us to do this right. You know?” She asked softly. “And I know we’ve sort of skipped a few steps,” She said while blushing and shaking her head. “And I mean I’m okay with that,” She held up a hand before he could interrupt.

She paused while her eyes roamed over his body before flicking back up to his face. She flushed again and pressed a hand over her face. “I’m sorry, like I was saying,” She said lightly, affection in her eyes as she met his gaze. “I want everything, and I want it with you, even if it’s slightly out of order and in our own way.” She told him a warm smile on her face.

Oliver smiled, amused by her blatantly checking him out. “I never make comments to the media about my personal life and that’s not going to change. But unfortunately thanks to Lex and some well-placed gossip, I think most people, including everyone at the office, already thinks there’s something going on between us. Honestly, Chloe, as long as it doesn’t bother you, I don’t care what people think. They’re going to talk no matter what we say. If you want, we can make it so you report directly to Tess instead of me at work.” Oliver wasn’t really concerned about that, but he didn’t want her to be uncomfortable. He was used to people talking about him and he knew they’d get bored with the subject eventually or he would do something else that would catch their attention. 

“I understand why you want your own space and I won’t fight you on that,” Oliver said. “But I am happy you’re going to stay here for the time being.” He shifted closer to her and rested his hand on her knee, his thumb gently caressing her skin as he met her eyes. He wanted to ask her about some of the things Clark had said last night, but he didn’t want to upset her.

“Chloe…” He hesitated for a moment. “I’m sorry if I was out of line with Clark yesterday, but he pissed me off when Hal and I ran into him patrolling and then again at the museum benefit. I know he’s your best friend…” He paused again. “I just want you to know that I wasn’t trying to make a bad situation worse. I was worried about you and I couldn’t really see past that.” Oliver knew he’d said some less than flattering things about Clark and he’d meant all of them, but he didn’t want Chloe to get caught in the middle.

Chloe bit her lower lip as she studied his face, the hand on her knee making her slightly warm as her body relaxed into the couch. “It’s alright…Clark’s,” She paused her brows creasing, “He’s a complicated guy. He sort of sees everything in black and white and doesn’t realize that there’s this whole gray area where sometimes we need to make hard decisions whether or not we want to.” She told him quietly. “He’s been my best friend since I was thirteen and I know he means well, but,” She sighed lightly and shrugged. “We haven’t seen eye to eye on things in a while.” She said before glancing up and meeting Oliver’s eyes.

She could see the curiosity in her eyes and she swallowed hard as she lifted the mug to her lips and took a sip of coffee, her gaze never leaving his. “You can ask you know. I won’t be offended. I’m sure you have questions and after everything you’ve shared with me, you deserve some answers,” She told him while looking down into her mug and taking a deep breath.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, Chloe,” Oliver said. His hand tightened on her knee as his other hand moved to her face, caressing her cheek softly. “Between the inferences Lex made and some of the things you’ve said, I put some of the pieces together. I want you to be comfortable enough with me to tell me the specifics, but if you don’t want to, that’s fine to,” he said sincerely. Oliver wanted to know everything because he cared about her and he knew this was a part of who she was whether she wanted it to be or not.

Chloe glanced at him quietly for a few minutes before nodding. “I figured you would, you’re smart like that Mr. Queen,” She teased lightly, but her smile didn’t quiet reach her eyes. She knew that she could trust Oliver; it had never been about trust. The reason she’d never mentioned what had happened was because there never seemed to be a good time and because she didn’t want the way he looked at her to change.

She was afraid that when he knew the truth about her a part of him wouldn’t like what was there. Chloe knew it was a ridiculous conclusion to make since half his team was made up of meta humans, but this was different. He wasn’t involved with those people. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “My Mother is a meta human.” She told him softly, “Something I didn’t find out until a few years ago. She left when I was a little girl.”

Chloe told him about how her Mom left, her Father raised her and how she’d found her Mom years later in a mental institution almost completely catatonic. She went on to explain how she’d disappeared from the facility she was in and how it turned out Lex had her all along and was using her to control other Meta humans. Chloe told him about the drug that made her lucid and everything that followed. She let out a long breath before glancing back at him. “I couldn’t get her out.” She told him softly. “He still has her somewhere, but I guess that’s not really the point of this story is it,” She said while giving him half a smile.

“I’m second generation meteor infected…I guess I mean I’m not really sure how it works,” She told him slightly confused. “I don’t really know much about it. The only reason I know I’m infected at all is because Lex took me. I still don’t know what exactly he wants from me, but I accidentally found out what my ability was a year or so ago when Lois was stabbed and died…and I healed her.” She said while holding her breath and watching his face closely so she wouldn’t miss his reaction to her words.

Oliver didn’t say anything as he listened to her, knowing that she needed to get everything out at her own pace. He knew all about meta-humans, both from the members of his team and from investigating Lex and rescuing people from his labs over the years. He’d never known that it was something that could be passed down in families, but he supposed it made sense. He’d have to talk to the doctor he kept on retainer to see if he’d ever come across families with more than one meta amongst them before.

He tensed when Chloe brought up Lex taking her and he remembered the comments Lex had made at the café about how easy it had been. But he forgot all of those when Chloe told him that Lois had died and she’d healed her. His eyes widened and it took him a moment to find his voice. “What do you mean you healed her?” he asked quietly. Oliver was trying to wrap his mind around the idea of Lois dying and what must have gone through Chloe’s head when she’d witnessed it. He knew how much Lois meant to her.

Chloe winced at the memory as she took another sip of coffee to calm her nerves. “We were looking into something about big shock, Lex.” She said while meeting his eyes. “I wasn’t with her when it happened,” She said quietly, her eyes clouding over and tearing up at the memory as it played through her head. “It was at Reeve’s Dam, where one of Lex’s facilities was and I found her lying in water as the dam came down.” She said quietly.

“I’m not really sure what happened,” She paused, “I was holding her body in my arms, crying and there was this…surge of energy that filled me…it was warm and powerful and I couldn’t control it,” She whispered, her heart picking up speed as she thought back to what it felt like as it happened. “I don’t know what happened after that.” She told him honestly as she once again met his gaze, eyes glassy.

“I woke up in a body bag at Metropolis General. I freaked out and Clark heard me screaming…He found me down there and helped me get out, but apparently when I heal someone, whatever happened to them…happens to me instead. I think it was probably the scariest thing that’s ever happened to me, even scarier than the time I was buried alive because at least then I knew what had happened.” She said softly.

Oliver decided he would file his questions about her being buried alive away for another time. He couldn’t imagine how terrifying that must have been for her to watch her cousin die and then die herself only to wake up alone in a morgue. “I’m so sorry, Chloe.” He reached for her hand again and held it tightly in his. He wanted to offer her any comfort her could because he could see the raw pain in her eyes and he knew she was reliving it inside her head. He hated that she had suffered and he hated that she was suffering again because she was sharing it with him. 

“One of the members of the team is a doctor, Emil Hamilton, and he specializes in the unexplained. If you ever want to talk to him or you want me to talk to him to see if he has any insight or he knows of anyone else with a similar ability, just let me know,” Oliver said. He wasn’t going to suggest that Chloe let him run tests on her and if she did want to talk to him, Oliver would make sure Emil didn’t suggest it. He didn’t want her to feel like she was going through what Lex had done to her again. Oliver just wanted her to have a chance to have peace of mind.

Chloe hesitated. “I appreciate it, but it hasn’t happened again since. I’m not really sure I’m ready to explore that side of myself.” She said lightly as she met his eyes and squeezed the hand that was still on her leg lightly. “But thank you, and if I’m ever ready to do that I’ll let you know,” She told him softly with a small smile before it disappeared. “Lex most likely knows more about my ability than I do,” She said, “Which is probably one of the reason’s he’s been trying to kill me. He probably wants to see if I can heal myself,” She joked, but her tone held a hint of bitterness in it.

Chloe shrugged it off and glanced up at him while rolling her shoulders. “Sorry…So, that’s the story, most of it anyway.” She said lightly and hesitated for a second, “Still interested in keeping me around,” She teased, but was unable to completely hide the uncertainty on her face.

Oliver took the coffee mug from her hands and set it down on the table and then he leaned over and covered her mouth with his. The kiss wasn’t soft or gentle as his lips moved greedily over hers. He ran his tongue over the seam of her lips until they parted for him and he deepened the kiss, tangling his tongue with hers almost desperately.

He pulled back, sucking in air as he mated his forehead to hers and stared into her eyes. “Does that answer your question?” He stroked her cheek and pressed another kiss to her lips as he balanced his body weight on his other arm so he wasn’t crushing her. “You’re stuck with me, Chloe. You might as well get used to it.”

Her eyes teared up slightly and she cupped both of his cheeks. “I was sort of hoping you’d say that,” She told him, her voice light. Chloe leaned in and captured his lips in a long drawn out kiss. When she broke away from him, she brushed her thumbs over his cheeks and smiled. “Thank you for being so amazing,” She whispered.

“You make it easy for me,” Oliver replied. He brushed away her tears and wrapped his arms around her, careful not to put too much pressure on her body as he lifted her so she was sitting across his lap. “So it seems like you’ve been doing the whole sidekick thing for awhile now,” he commented as he rubbed lazy circles over her back. “I’m sort of offended that I’m not the first hero you’ve done this for.” His face fell into a mock pout as he attempted to lighten the conversation. Oliver figured they’d dealt with enough serious issues for one morning.

Chloe smirked, sliding a hand over his shoulder and down his arm as she leaned in and pressed a kiss to his jaw. “Does it make you feel any better if I tell you you’re the first hero I’ve done that to?” She asked as she pressed her lips further down to his jaw and then let her tongue trace the outline of his ear. “And that?” She whispered while letting her hand fall between them and rest on his stomach.

“It definitely helps,” Oliver said as he skimmed his hand up her leg, letting it slide beneath the hem of his shirt to rest on her thigh. “We should probably get something to eat,” he suggested even as his fingers continued to massage her. Oliver knew Chloe wanted to take things slow and he respected that. But he was having a hard time getting his body to hear the message, especially when her hand on his stomach had his muscles clenching eagerly beneath her touch.

Chloe closed her eyes lightly anticipation running through her body at the feel of his hand massaging her upper thigh. Her heartbeat quickened, pulse speeding up as she gripped the back of his head with one hand, trying to remember what her reasons were for wanting to take things slow. Her warm breath hit his cheek as she placed a kiss their before speaking. “I’m not feeling so hungry at the moment,” She said, voice low as she shifted her legs apart just slightly while her teeth bit into her bottom lip lightly.

The low tone of her voice had what was left of his self-control slipping away. Oliver moved his hand further up her thigh, letting his thumb brush along her inner thigh, dangerously close to the front of her panties. His eyes were darker than usual when they met hers and he struggled to remember why he’d felt the need to stop when they’d been in this position the night before. “Chloe,” he said slowly, drawing out her name as his other hand rested on the small of her back. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers.

She deepened the kiss, coaxing his mouth open and slipping her tongue into him mouth as she pressed her hand to the side of his face. Chloe moved her body trying to get closer and turned to quickly making a sharp pain shoot up her back. She winced, her body tensing on top of Oliver’s as her hand gripping his shoulder tightly. “Sorry,” She said as her brows creased in pain.

“No, I’m sorry,” Oliver said. She’d nearly been blown up the night before, she could barely walk without wincing and he was starting something he had no business doing. He gently moved Chloe off his lap and back to her original position on the couch and got to his feet. “You’re going to sit there and relax and I’m going to make us something to eat.” He started to walk away and then changed his mind.

Leaning down, he kissed her again, slowly, savoring the feeling of her lips moving beneath his. “I promise you we will pick that up at another time when you’re not in pain.” He straightened up and smiled at her before making his way down the hall to the kitchen, trying to remember if he had any food in the refrigerator that didn’t come in a plastic container.

Chloe let out a content sigh, grin on her lips as she watched him head out of the living room and towards the kitchen. Her chest warmed slightly as she relaxed against the couch her heart light wondering how in the world she’d gotten so lucky and then shaking her head at the thought. All that mattered was she had Oliver and they were together the how wasn’t really all that important.


	13. Chapter 13

Oliver sat behind his desk, frowning at his laptop as the latest search Chloe had run on Lex’s files came back with no hits found. Lois had called earlier and told Chloe about the different explosives Clark had found at the Talon. They had been working on tracing the devices back to the original manufacturer and Chloe had followed the trail to a warehouse in China. Oliver had sent Bart and AC to check it out and Chloe had run a separate search to try and find a paper trail between the company and Lex.

All of the avenues she’d tried were coming up empty and Oliver had seen her wincing as she shifted in the chair so he’d finally convinced her to go upstairs and soak in his whirlpool tub. He’d promised to take over the search and was attempting to focus on that and not on the image of Chloe naked in his bathtub.

He typed in another command and the computer started a different search. Oliver doubted they were going to find anything since Lex was way too good at covering his tracks, but he knew they had to exhaust every outlet. Sooner or later, Lex was going to slip up and they had to be ready for that moment. He heard the elevator and glanced up as Hal and Tess walked into the room. “Hey,” he called as he pushed himself out of the chair. “What’s going on?”

Tess glanced at Hal before offering Oliver a tight smile. She’d spent the afternoon making lists and going over everything she could think of in her head and she’d been driving herself and Hal crazy. He had suggested she take a break and she figured it was as good a time as any to let Oliver in on her plan. “Is Chloe still here?” she asked. “I brought her some clothes.” She held up a bag of essentials that she had gathered from her closet. Most of it was brand new stuff that she kept in Metropolis in case she forgot to pack something when she left Coast City.

Oliver nodded and gestured for them to have a seat on the couch. “Yeah, she’s pretty sore from getting tossed around in the blast so she’s taking a bath. You two look tense,” he commented as he took a seat in the leather chair. “Did something else happen?” He was almost afraid to ask at this point.

Hal gave Tess a sideways glance and took her hand as he sat across from Oliver. She’d spent a lot of time going over this plan and even though he still wasn’t sold on it he knew this was important to her and so he’d support her whatever way he could. He gave his best friend half a smile. “Everything’s okay…sort of.” He said before glancing towards his girlfriend. “Tess thinks she has a good idea on how we can distract Lex enough to get him to slip up,” He told Oliver quietly while motioning for Tess to sit next to him.

“What kind of plan?” Oliver asked. He had his answer the second he looked at Tess and he frowned. “You’re going to go public,” he guessed. “You’re going to tell the world that you’re Lionel Luthor’s daughter.” He sat back in his chair and let that roll around in his head for a moment. He’d never been completely against the idea the way Hal had been from the beginning. But he did have his concerns and now that Lex had proven just how ruthless he could be, Oliver was still skeptical that it was the right decision. “Tess, are you sure about this?”

“Yes,” Tess replied. She was disappointed to see that he was hesitating. She had assumed Oliver would be on board right away and he might be able to convince Hal that it was a good idea. Well, not a good idea, but a reasonable idea. Tess knew he was only going along with it because she’d asked him to, but she’d been watching him all afternoon and she knew he wasn’t happy. “Oliver, this will work. I’ll announce who I am and I’ll sue Lex for my half of the fortune. He’ll probably tie me up in court for months, years even, but you know this will get to him. He’ll be distracted and he’ll make a mistake,” she said.

“Maybe,” Oliver said. He sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. The potential was there but he wasn’t sure it outweighed the risks. “Tess, have you really thought this through? You won’t be able to go anywhere without someone shoving a camera in your face. Your entire past will become public knowledge. Chloe was able to find this out so there’s a chance someone out there might be able to find the stuff we buried. Are you sure you want to put yourself through that?” he asked.

Oliver remembered what it was like when they’d first gotten back from the island and everyone had been speculating about his miraculous return and the new woman in his life. Tess had barely left the apartment the first few months they’d been in Star City. He glanced at Hal. “Are you okay with this?”

Hal tensed slightly, but immediately relaxed. No he wasn’t okay with this, but he trusted Tess and he respected her decision to choose how she wanted to handle the situation. He loved her and he would stand behind whatever she decided because that’s what did when you loved someone. But he was worried about the ramifications and he wasn’t just going to let that go.

“I trust Tess and if this is what she wants to do, I respect that,” He told his friend, his tone neutral. “There is one thing I think we should focus on and figure out for when this does go public though,” He said lightly as he glanced between his girlfriend and Oliver. He hadn’t mentioned this to Tess yet and he hoped she didn’t get angry at him for suggesting it.

“It’s obvious that Lex has Chloe and Lois in his sights. With this news….Tess is going to be a target too,” He said carefully, “And I’d like us to maybe sit down with Chloe’s cousin and the douche and see if we can map out a plan…like a course of action so we’re not all flying blind and winging it. I’d feel a lot better knowing we had a solid plan,” He paused and gave Tess’s hand a squeeze. “Not that your plan isn’t solid, but you know what I mean.” He said lightly.

Oliver smirked at Hal calling Clark a douche, but his expression turned serious a second later and he nodded. “I think that’s for the best. Chloe’s going to stay with me until we make sure Lex isn’t a threat anymore and I can only assume Lois will be staying with Clark. It would be better if we were all on the same page whether Clark likes it or not,” he said flatly. Oliver knew the other man wasn’t going to like the idea of working with them and he certainly wasn’t going to like giving up any control. But if Tess was putting herself on the line for this, Oliver would do what he could to work out some kind of compromise with Clark.

Tess gave Hal a questioning look, wondering why he hadn’t said anything to her about this sooner. “I’m fine with that as long as Clark understands that we’re not in this to be Lex’s friends. I want to see that bastard behind bars. I’m not telling everyone that I’m related to him so we can all hold hands at a dinner party.”

She really didn’t like the way Clark had treated Oliver or the way he talked about Chloe like she had somehow betrayed his trust because she had other friends. Tess knew it had been a rough night for everyone and maybe Clark was a decent guy underneath, but at this point, she wanted to proceed with caution.

“I can call my lawyer, the one who handles my family’s estate and get his take on the whole thing,” Oliver offered. “I’ll brief the guys too when they check in. Bart and AC are following a lead Chloe found on the explosives in China and Victor is doing his own thing in London, but he’s been in contact. I want all of them prepared to come here if we need backup,” he said. Oliver knew Lex was going to be furious when he heard the news and he would act swiftly. They had to be ready for anything.

Hal nodded. “That sounds like a good plan.” It made him feel just a little bit better knowing they were going to involve the team some. If they had everyone briefed with what was going on and they were all working different angles, they were less likely to miss something that Lex threw at them, which was as good as this whole plan was going to get. Hal just wanted to make sure that everyone he loved stayed safe. That was his first priority and he wouldn’t be leaving Tess’s side until this whole thing was over.

“How do you want to play this?” Oliver asked. He assumed Tess had come up with a plan or she wouldn’t be sitting on his couch at the moment. She was good at thinking things through and considering all angles. “I can be there with you when you make the announcement,” he offered. He knew the first thing Lex’s people would do was call her a liar and demand to see proof.

Tess was smart enough to make sure she had everything in order before she went public, but it wouldn’t hurt to have the power of his name behind her. People already knew they were connected through the company and that they had been friends a long time. His support might help her.

Tess nodded. “I considered that. Maybe we can call a press conference when the papers are going to be filed. I thought about doing a one on one interview too if that might work better. You’re the media expert,” she teased, trying to inject some humor into the situation. “Do you know of any trustworthy reporters who would be interested in this story?” she asked.

“Every reporter is going to be interested in this story,” Oliver replied matter-of-factly. There were so many different scandals wrapped up in it that the media was going to be foaming at the mouth. He made a face at the thought. “A press conference would give you more exposure and more outlets would pick it up and then we can consider a one on one interview. We might need to hire a separate publicist for this,” he said.

Hal pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to Tess and Oliver go over the finer details of things and the only thing that he kept popping into his head was that Lex was going to freak out and come after his girlfriend. He had no idea what he’d do if anything happened to Tess. He rolled his neck while draping an arm over his girlfriend’s shoulders rubbing his hand against her arm lightly. He opened his mouth to interject a smartass comment about something Oliver said when Chloe’s voice rang through the apartment.

“Oh Hero,” She said in a sing-song voice as she made her way out of the bedroom to the top of the stairs glancing  down at the robe she wore, wiping something off of it as she started down the stairs. “Where did you disappear to? You’re bathtub is amazing, my body feels all warm and Jell-O like. Since I’m feeling better I’ve made an executive decision and came to the conclusion that we shouldn’t take things slow anymore. I’m thinking as long as you buy me dinner later we’ll be good,” She teased as she glanced up when he didn’t answer and paused halfway down the steps when she saw Hal and Tess on the couch.

She lifted her arms covering the robe that was slightly wet from her skin; face flushing as she glanced between the couple on the couch. “I didn’t realize you had company.” She said sheepishly before turning her eyes to Oliver and biting her bottom lip. “A little warning would have been nice,” She told him lightly.

“Sorry, Sidekick,” Oliver said as he bit back a grin. She was cute when she was embarrassed. He got up from the chair and motioned for her to sit down as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “Just say the word and I can kick them out of here,” he whispered against her ear.

His eyes roamed over the way the robe clung to her skin and Oliver suddenly wished that Tess and Hal had never stopped by. He took a seat on the arm of the chair once she sat down and arched an eyebrow in his friends’ directions. He knew neither one of them would be able to resist making a comment about this particular development.

Tess smiled at Chloe. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.” She pointed to the bag she’d dropped on the coffee table. “I brought you some clothes, just a few things to hold you over until you get a chance to go to the store. Perhaps you won’t need them after all,” she teased as she bit the corner of her lip to keep from laughing.

She knew Chloe was probably embarrassed and it wasn’t nice to mock her, but Tess was just happy to see that Oliver and Chloe had gotten past his ridiculous notions that they couldn’t be together if they were teammates. She’d known they’d figure it out eventually.

Chloe’s cheeks grew redder and she rolled her eyes. “And t he public mortification continues,” She mumbled while leaning forward and taking the bag. “Thank you, while some people might not think clothes are essential, I certainly do,” She said pointedly while giving Oliver a look.

Hal smirked. “Oh this is going to be so much fun,” He said lightly tightening his arm around Tess. “We can go on double dates now,” He joked before glancing between his best friend and Chloe, “Does this mean you’re kicking us out so you can get freaky?” He asked a hint of mischief in his eyes.

Chloe groaned dropping her head in her hands. “I think the universe is trying to tell me my executive decision was a bad one,” She grumbled before peeking out from her hands and leaning into Oliver with a pout.

Oliver wrapped his arm around Chloe and shot a glare in Hal’s direction. “Shut up or I will kick your sorry ass out of here.” He turned back to Chloe. “Hal and Tess came by for a reason other than interrupting our afternoon.” He unconsciously tightened his grip on her shoulders as his expression turned serious again. “Tess has decided that she wants to make an announcement about being Lionel’s daughter and sue Lex for her rightful inheritance. The plan is to distract him into making a mistake,” he explained.

Chloe blinked and turned to Tess. She hesitated before glanced at Hal and then back to the red head in front of her. “Are you sure about this,” She said quietly, “I know that was why I came to you in the beginning, but I was wrong…I wasn’t thinking clearly and I don’t want you to put yourself in unnecessary danger unless you’re one hundred and ten percent sure.” She told her softly. “Lex isn’t going to take kindly to this…” She said her voice trailing off as she caught Tess’s gaze.

“I know that,” Tess said. She held Hal’s hand a little tighter, knowing what was probably going through his head. “Maybe it wasn’t the right decision when you first came to Star City and maybe it’s not the right decision now but I want to do this,” she said firmly. “Chloe, Lex didn’t think twice about trying to blow up you and Lois last night and the fact that he failed is not going to stop him from trying again. He’s too focused and we need to distract him so he’ll make a mistake. I’m sure I want to do this,” she said. Tess needed Chloe on her side because she was afraid that Hal might find a way to talk Oliver out of the plan and she knew she couldn’t go up against both of them.

Chloe could see the hint of pleading in Tess’s eyes and she took a deep breath before leaning forward and placing a hand on the other woman’s arm. “Okay, I trust you and I think it’s a solid plan. As long as you know the risks and you’re okay with them, then I’m on board. I’ll have your back,” She said softly giving the red head a small smile. She knew Tess was smart and capable and she obviously wanted to take Lex down as much as Chloe. Oliver and Hal would keep her safe and Chloe would do anything she could to help them.

“Thank you,” Tess said, relieved. She settled back against the couch, knowing the hard part was only just beginning. “We’ll have to have someone verify everything you gave me when you came to Star City. Lex will dispute my claim and say the birth certificate is a forgery. Then they’ll trace it back to the orphanage and everything will come out.” Her voice trailed off as her childhood horrors flashed through her mind. 

“Hal thinks we should talk to Lois and Clark about this,” Oliver said. He could see that Tess was getting upset and he wanted to try and change the subject. “Tess and I agreed but I wanted to see if you thought Clark would be willing to help. You obviously know him better than we do,” he pointed out. Oliver figured Chloe was going to have to be the one to ask Clark to help because Oliver doubted the other man would do anything for him or Hal or even Tess for that matter.

Chloe pursed her lips and glanced between the three of them. She swallowed hard and nodded. “I’ll talk to Lois. He’ll cooperate if she asks him to. He might not be on the same page with everything, but he’s got a good heart and he doesn’t want to see people get hurt. I’m sure we’ll be able to count on him to help,” She told them lightly.

“All right,” Oliver said. “Chloe will talk to Lois and I’ll call the lawyer and I’ll give Sarah in PR a call and suggest she hire an assistant. She’s smart enough not to ask for details.” He rubbed his hand absently over Chloe’s back as he tried to think of anything else they might be missing. Nothing was coming to mind but he couldn’t help the tension that rose between his shoulders. “Do you guys want to stay for dinner? We can call the Thai place. I’ll buy,” he added, sending a pointed look in Chloe’s direction.

Tess rolled her eyes. “You’re a billionaire, Oliver. Give the woman something more than takeout,” she said. “But if you don’t mind, we’re going to pass on dinner.” Talking about all of this was starting to get to her and she just wanted to be alone with Hal for awhile before their lives descended into constant craziness. She knew they wouldn’t get any peace once the truth came out so she wanted to take advantage of this time while she could.

Hal nodded. “I’m going to have to agree with Red,” He said, “I think I’m going to take _my girlfriend_ out for dinner while I still can peacefully,” He said with a grin as he pushed himself off the couch and held out a hand for Tess. “What do you say Red a little quality time with me never hurt, you game?” He asked lightly his face softening, knowing that things hadn’t even started to get crazy and already she was being weighed down.

“I’d like that,” Tess said as she laced her fingers through his. She offered Chloe a small smile. “Chloe, if you need anything else, just call me or feel free to come over.” Tess squeezed Oliver’s arm as they moved by him. “Thank you for all your help. I know your connections are going to come in handy for this and I appreciate it.” Her voice shook a little and Tess knew she needed to get out of there before she did something ridiculous like start crying. That was the last thing she needed and she wasn’t sure Hal could take it if she fell apart again.

“We’ll do this any way you want to, Tess,” Oliver said. He could see that she was barely holding herself together and he knew she was anxious to leave. He smiled at her, doing his best to ignore the tension in his body. “Try and enjoy your dinner even if you are in the company of a jackass,” he teased.

Hal snorted, “I’m the best boyfriend ever,” He said as he tugged Tess towards the elevator, “Just ask my girlfriend, she’ll vouch for me.” He called out amused as they stepped into the elevator and waved as it closed.

Chloe watched them go as she leaned into Oliver, lost in thought. She knew this was going to be big and Lex was not going to be happy, but Tess was right. It would be a huge distraction, which was why she’d gone to Tess in the beginning months ago. But now…things were different and Tess was her friend and she wasn’t crazy about putting the other woman’s life in danger no matter how good the cause was. Chloe sighed lightly hands in her lap as she fiddled with the bag of clothes.

“What’s on your mind?” Oliver asked. Chloe hadn’t said much since he’d told her what Tess was planning and that wasn’t like her. He knew she had to have more to say on the subject and there had to be a reason she was keeping it to herself. He stood from the chair and moved to the coffee table, sitting down in front of her so he could see her face. “Talk to me,” he urged as he reached out and brushed her hair back from her face, tucking a few strands behind her ear.

She glanced up at him and shrugged. “I think it’s a good plan, I mean obviously, I wouldn’t have come to Tess with it if I didn’t,” She said hesitating, “But it’s different now. I consider Tess a friend. I’ve seen too many people that I care about get hurt by the Luthor’s over the years and I just don’t want to see anything happen to her.” She said quietly.

“I know she can take care of herself and she has Hal and you and I’m sure Clark will help…But I know Lex, Oliver. As soon as this goes public, he’s going to start digging. He’s going to realize I came to you guys with this information and he’s going to target Tess and try to get rid of her so she can’t get her hands on his money.” She sighed and glanced away from him.

“I’m just worried and a part of me wishes I never brought that information to Star City in the first place, but another part of me is selfish and can’t really regret it because in a way it gave me you,” She told him softly.

“That’s not selfish, Chloe,” Oliver said. He tilted her head back toward him so she was looking into his eyes again. “Or maybe it is selfish but I don’t care because I feel the same way. I’m glad you came to Star City and I do wish it was for a different reason, but Tess knows the risks of what she’s doing. We all do. Going up against Lex is dangerous, but none of us are willing to let him hurt anyone else.”

He stroked her cheek and then leaned forward to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “I know you’re blaming yourself for this, but it’s not your fault. You brought the information to Tess’s attention, but this is her choice.” 

He pulled back and met her gaze. “Chloe, we’re going to protect Tess just like we’re going to protect you and Lois and all the other innocent people out there who Lex might try and hurt. I admit that I’m not fully on board with this plan. Tess is practically family and I don’t want her to have to go through this. But she made up her mind and all we can do now is help her.”

Chloe nodded and smiled lightly at him. Oliver always had a way of setting her at ease. “You’re right,” She said softly as she shifted her head and pressed a kiss against his palm as she met his eyes. “Tess has all of us and we’ll keep her safe,” She said resolutely.

Oliver returned her smile. “Now that we have that settled, what do you want to do for dinner? We could go out if you want,” he offered, thinking about Hal’s words. He knew his friend had just been teasing him, but he had a point. Chloe deserved more than just spending time in his apartment.

He didn’t know if she’d been serious earlier when she’d made the comment about not caring if they were rushing things before she realized they had an audience, but Oliver wasn’t going to take advantage of her. Even if she was feeling better physically, she was still emotionally vulnerable whether she admitted it or not.

Chloe shook her head and got up planting herself on his lap as she met his eyes. “I’d rather stay in if that’s alright,” She said with lightly. “Maybe we can order Italian? Or you mentioned Thai food earlier. I could go for some coconut ice cream. I’m going to have to go out at some point tomorrow or the day after and buy some clothes and things, so I’d rather just stay in while I can. You don’t mind do you?” She asked while rubbing his arm lightly.

“I don’t mind at all,” Oliver said. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against him for a minute. Things were going to get hectic soon and he was perfectly content being alone with her without any interruptions while he had the chance. “I’ll get the Thai food menu. I don’t think we have any ice cream, but I can go pick up the food and stop by the store if you want.” He dropped his head to her shoulder and pressed a few light kisses there where her robe had slipped down. “Just give me a few minutes,” he said against her skin.

Chloe closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side at the feel of his lips against her skin. She lifted a hand threading it through the back of his hair, her fingers running through it lightly. “I don’t need the ice cream,” She said in one breath while using her other hand to grip his arm, pressing herself just a little closer to him.

“Okay,” Oliver agreed as his lips trailed lazily over her neck. He knew he had to be careful and keep himself from getting carried away, and he would stop things if they started to go too far. But for the moment, he just wanted to stay there with her and shut out everything else.

 

______

 

Lex pushed through the throng of reporters, irritation on his face as he made his way into the Luthor Corp building. It had been three days since Tess Mercer addressed the public and went public with the fact that she was his half sister. The media had been in an uproar ever since. He glared at the security guard in the front lobby of the building and pointed to the glass doors. "Is there a specific reason you're just standing there instead of calling the Metropolis PD and getting these vultures off my property?" He snapped.

The guard stuttered apologizing and moving to the phone to cal while Lex shook his head and mumbled about incompetent workers while making his way to the elevator. He stabbed at the button hard and took a deep breath trying to temper the anger that was building inside of him. He couldn't believe this was happening. Lex had contingency plans for almost everything that could possibly go wrong, but he didn't even fathom that a half sibling could pop up.

His jaw clenched as the elevator chimed and the doors slid open. He walked into the elevator and pushed the button for his floor sliding his hands into his pockets as the doors closed. He shook his head. His Father must be laughing at him from the grave. Lex couldn't believe he'd been dead for close to a year and yet he was somehow still making his life miserable. The doors slid open again a couple of minutes later and Lex made his way to his office snatching the message slips from his secretary before moving into his office and tossing them all in the garbage.

He made his way to his desk, sat down and booted up his computer. As he waited for the system to load he glanced at the papers littering his desk. Lex had his lawyers working overtime to try and find a way around her claim to anything his family owned. And while they worked on that he had another a second set of lawyers for the specific purpose of burying her in counter suites filled with legal fees. If she thought she was going to get out of this unscathed she was wrong.

His laptop prompted him for a password and he quickly typed it in and waited for the desktop to load. He was almost positive this was Chloe's doing. He had gone back and tracked all her movements and she had taken an impromptu trip to Star City not long before Oliver and his second in command, Tess Mercer, or rather Lutessa Luthor, made their way into town.  The Talon explosion might not have worked, but he had other resources and other ways and now one more person on his list of people to get rid of.

Lex sighed and glared at his computer as he opened his email and was bombarded by emails from different newspaper and tabloids across the county. It was annoying and time consuming. He had so much going on and new projects that he was in the process of running, but from this point on his main focus was going to be on the issue at hand. Lex had even let the managing editor take over the everyday responsibilities for the Planet for the time being.

He needed to be on the forefront of this battle and plan for every possible outcome. He had gone over Tess's information numerous times with his lawyers and alone. The information was accurate and well researched. There was no way to discredit it, but he was still looking and if that didn't work...well then he'd take care of this little bump in the road the way he did everything else.

Now more than ever Lex was determined to get rid of Chloe and this, Tess Mercer. Blood or not, she was going to be sorry she ever messed with a real Luthor and Chloe would be sorry she helped. Their days were numbered, they might have won this battle, but he would win the war.

 

______

 

 Lois glared at the horde of tabloid reporters that surrounded the clock tower as she moved through the crowd, holding Clark’s hand tightly. Chloe had told her that they’d been there day and night since Tess had made her announcement and Lois had seen more reporters outside Luthor Corp. each day on her way to work, but this was insane. It was six-thirty on a Tuesday evening. Didn’t these people have anything better to do? She scowled when flashbulbs went off in their faces and she tugged harder on Clark’s hand, encouraging him to move faster. “You people give real reporters a bad name,” she hissed as they made their way to the door. A uniformed guard stood in front of the door and he nodded at them before holding it open. “Mr. Queen is expecting you.”

“Thank you,” Lois said. She glanced at Clark as they walked toward the elevator like Chloe had instructed. She knew he was apprehensive about being here and not knowing what to expect from Oliver or the others. Clark was still upset about what had happened the night of the explosion and Lois knew he was also hurt that Chloe had kept him in the dark about her trip to Star City and her discovery of Tess’s connection to Lex.

Lois had filled him in on everything after Chloe had called and explained that Tess had decided to come forward and she was going to need their help. Clark had agreed that he would do whatever he could to protect everyone, but Lois knew he had reservations.

She stopped in front of the elevator and turned to face Clark instead of pressing the button to open the door. “Honey, you hardly said a word on the way over here. What’s going on?” she asked. Lois wanted him to get it out now so they didn’t have a repeat performance of the night at the farm. They all needed to work together.

Clark pursed his lips. There was so much going through his head that he wasn’t really sure where to start. When Chloe called Lois, Clark had readily agreed to help protect whoever needed protecting. He would never say no to someone who was putting their life at risk to help others, but he was hurt and slightly angry with Chloe.

Things had been different for a while, but ever since Lex had fired her from the Daily Planet, it was like she’d become a different person. She spent ninety percent of her time researching Lex and when she’d found this huge piece of information she hadn’t even come to him with it, but what was worse than that was she had Lois lying to him for her.

It was one thing for her to lie, but Lois was his girlfriend, the woman he loved. He didn’t want to keep secrets from her, but he knew she’d always protect Chloe, they were closer than sisters and it bugged him that neither one of them trusted him enough to come to him with the information. He felt like this whole plan was unnecessarily putting people at risk and he didn’t like it, especially when one of those people was his girlfriend.

Clark shook his head realizing she was waiting for an answer and shrugged. “I don’t think this is a good plan. I mean it makes sense, because I’m sure this would definitely distract Lex, but you realize that he’s already tried to kill you and Chloe. Now he’s going to go after Tess and once he finds out Chloe was the one who dug up this information and you know he will, he’s going to have it out for her even more.” He told her quietly.

“And of course one of the quickest ways to get to Chloe is through you,” He said while meeting her eyes, “Lex knows how close you two are and how much she cares about you and with everything that’s happened and everything you guys keep saying, it seems like he wouldn’t hesitate to use that against her.” He said with a sigh as he gripped her hand tightly. “I just don’t want to see anything happen to you Lois…I love you, you know that and I worry,” He told her letting his voice trail off as they stood in front of the elevator still.

“I love you too, Clark,” Lois replied. She rose to her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “I know you’re worried but Chloe and I were already in danger from Lex. That’s why Tess is doing this. That’s why we’re all doing this. We need to stop him and this might be our best plan.” Lois had been skeptical when Chloe had first broached the subject before she’d ever met Tess or Oliver. But Lois had been more worried about her cousin approaching a stranger and turning her life upside down than anything else. The plan was absurd, but this was Lex they were dealing with and as crazy as this was, Lois thought it might actually work. 

“Come on, they’re probably waiting for us.” Lois pushed the button to open the doors and tugged Clark into the elevator. When the doors slid shut behind them, she placed her hand on his chest and met his gaze. “Smallville, I know you’re still upset with Chloe and that you don’t trust Oliver, but please try to go into this with an open mind. For me,” she added. Lois knew Clark would help because it was the right thing to do, but she wanted him to try and get along with everyone. Lois knew he just needed to relax a little and let everyone see the amazing guy he really was.

Clark studied his girlfriends face for a few seconds before sighing and nodding. “Fine, I will go into this with an open mind, but I can’t help that I’m upset with her Lois,” He said lightly, but there was a frown on his face. “Chloe’s been lying to me a lot lately, and when it comes to Lex and situations she gets herself into that I end up helping her in, it would be a lot easier if she told me what was actually going on instead of me being blindsided by everything at once.” He told her.

“It makes me feel uncomfortable and defensive.” He said. There was a beep and then the elevator started to move. He leaned towards Lois, his voice low, “I just don’t like being in the dark.” The elevator jerked to a stop and the doors slid open. Clark took a deep breath and glanced at Lois motioning for her to step out first.

“I know, honey,” Lois said softly. She squeezed his hand, pulling him with her as she stepped out of the elevator. “Anybody home?” she called, raising her voice as she tugged on Clark’s hand. She spotted Oliver first; standing behind a desk near the giant clock face in the center of what she assumed was the living room. As they moved further into the room, she saw Tess and Hal seated on the couch but she didn’t see Chloe anywhere. “Hi guys,” she said. “Quite a circus you’ve got going on downstairs,” she commented.  

Oliver rolled his eyes, moving away from the desk toward the seating area. “Yeah, they’ve been circling for days. Chloe’s in the kitchen getting some coffee,” he said as he gestured for them to have a seat. “Thanks for coming,” he added. Oliver met Clark’s eyes and gave him a tight smile. He knew Clark was there to help and he was probably reluctant about the whole thing, but this wasn’t about them. Lex was already fighting Tess through the legal system, so it was only a matter of time before he came after her personally.

Clark returned the tense smile as he sat across from Hal and Tess waiting for Lois to join him. He glanced between Hal and Tess and tried for a friendly smile. “Hi,” He said lightly.

Hal nodded in his direction. He wasn’t crazy about the doorknob being there, but he knew his abilities would be an asset if something happened and right now all that mattered was keeping Tess safe. “Hey, how’s it going?” He asked casually.

Clark shrugged, “It’s going…How are you?” It wasn’t difficult to see that the other man wasn’t thrilled to have him there, just like he wasn’t thrilled to be there, but he knew Hal was putting his issues aside, just like he was.

Hal opened his mouth, but before he could answer Chloe made her way into the living room, mug of coffee in hand, smile on her face. “What’d I miss?” She asked as her eyes landed on her cousin. She hadn’t seen her since the night of the explosion and she quickly moved towards the couch and pulled her into a hug, “Hey Lo.”

“Hey cuz,” Lois replied as she returned Chloe’s hug. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed her cousin until that second. They’d both been too tangled up in everything that was going on to have a chance to really talk. Lois still had to tell her about Clark asking her to move in with him.

She didn’t really think that was an over the phone kind of talk. It also wasn’t a discussion she wanted to have in front of a room full of people, so it was going to have to wait awhile longer. “It must be fun getting in and out of this building to get to work every day,” she commented.   

“We all know a few tricks,” Oliver said. He took a seat on the arm of the chair and folded his hands in his lap. He was anxious to get started so they could get this meeting or whatever the hell they were calling it over with. He glanced at Tess and noticed she was sitting stiffly beside Hal, not saying anything.

She’d been quieter than usual since the whole thing started and Oliver knew it was getting to her more than she was willing to admit. “Just to bring you two up to speed, Lex has his lawyers filing various injunctions to stop Tess from suing him. It’s all legal maneuvering and he’s trying to get a gag order, but so far the judge isn’t biting on that one.”

Chloe moved to sit in the chair that Oliver was on the arm of as Clark nodded and spoke. “That sounds like something he would do,” He said quietly before glancing around the room. No one was saying much and he couldn’t help but think this was a waste of time if no one was going to talk about why they were there.

He cleared his throat and looked from Hal to Oliver. “So, what is it that you want us to do?” He asked figuring no one really wanted to waste time. Usually he liked having all the answers first, but Clark didn’t really want to spend the next few hours in Oliver Queen’s living room. He just wanted to get this whole thing over with.

“There’s not much we can do at this point,” Oliver admitted. He could see that Clark was anxious to get to the point and he appreciated that. “We don’t know what Lex’s next move is going to be, but we all know he’s going to make one. He’s angry and he’s embarrassed right now that we found out something before he did. We need to make sure that we’re ready when he decides to strike.”

He glanced at Hal before meeting Clark’s eyes. “We didn’t get off to the best start but we all want the same thing. At least I think we do,” he added. He didn’t know where Clark’s head was at and whether or not he was still concerned with rehabilitating Lex and getting his friend back or not.

“I don’t like waiting around,” Lois interjected. She had never been good at being patient and she really didn’t like the idea of just sitting around to see what Lex was going to do next. “You’re not suggesting we wait until he tries to blow us up again or something, are you?” she asked. She hoped they had more of a plan than that or they were in trouble.

“Of course not,” Tess said, breaking her silence. The tension in the room was ridiculous and it was only making her feel worse about the idea of including Clark and Lois in the first place. It wasn’t that she was against the idea of having help, but she didn’t know them and she didn’t trust Clark.

He was still looking at them like he was somehow the injured party. “Oliver and the rest of the team have Lex under surveillance and Chloe is monitoring his communications the best she can without tipping him off. He’s been quiet and that probably means he’s getting ready to make his move.”

Clark pursed his lips and Chloe glanced between everyone sitting in the room and sighed. She scooted forward on the seat and looked at Clark. “Listen, I know that I left you blindsided on this one Clark, but this wasn’t my secret to tell. I found this information a while ago and it was the original reason I went to California, but none of that really matters right now,” She said calmly as she gripped her mug.

“What matter’s in making sure nothing happens to Tess. I get that we all have reservations here,” She said lightly, glancing back towards Hal and Tess briefly before looking back at Clark. “But we need to get over those quickly, because if we’re not all working together someone is going to get hurt.” She told him, “And I know despite how angry or uncomfortable you all are, no one wants that.” She said giving everyone a moment to digest her words.

“So I say the first thing we do is come up with some sort of rotating schedule to possibly keep an eye on Tess, since no one likes to be cooped up in the house. Maybe Oliver can cover Tess while she’s at work, make sure everything’s okay and he’s got his eye on her and then Hal of course can take the night shift since he’s with her anyway and Clark maybe you can be around or in hearing range when she’s traveling does that work?” She asked.

Clark nodded. “I can do that, it shouldn’t be a big deal, I’m in Metropolis anyway and if you call out for me I can hear you, but that doesn’t really help figure out what we’re going to do about Lex…” He said his voice trailing off.

Chloe shook her head. “Let’s deal with one problem at a time. We need to keep him distracted enough to be able to get him to make a mistake so we have actual hard evidence to take him down with, so that’s our goal at the moment. Keeping Tess safe and getting evidence.” She said casually.

Hal leaned forward his hand rubbing circles into Tess’s lower back in an attempt to get her to relax a little bit. “I like Chloe’s plan. I think it’s well thought out and it seems to make the most sense. And what about Lois maybe you can try snooping around the planet and see if you can find anything there?” He asked lightly. “If you want to do it while Tess is at work with Oliver, I’ll watch your back,” He told her with a shrug knowing if they were going to be helping he might as well offer up his services too.

Clark frowned and was about to protest when Chloe cut him off. “That’s a good idea Hal,” She sent a thankful smile his way before looking back at Clark. “It couldn’t hurt.”

Clark shrugged, “Yeah I guess, though I prefer if Lois didn’t piss Lex off anymore, he doesn’t need another reason to go after her, but I’ll be around and I’ll make sure she’s okay too.” He said while placing a hand on her leg lightly.

Lois let out a small “pfft” sound. “Come on, Smallville. I think we all know by now that I’m good at getting in and out of Lex’s office without him knowing I’ve been there. Well, Chloe and I know.” She winked at her cousin before turning to Clark with a sweet smile on her face. “Honey, give me some credit. I’m an investigative reporter,” she reminded him.

“I’m not some novice who is going to make careless mistakes.” She knew Clark wasn’t trying to upset her and she wasn’t offended, but sometimes he forgot that she wasn’t an innocent lamb who needed to be protected from the slaughter. She had no problems holding her own and she wasn’t afraid of Lex no matter what he threw at her.  
    

“I think Clark is just advising that we all take extra precaution when it comes to Lex,” Oliver said before Clark had a chance to respond. He actually agreed with Clark on this one and didn’t think it was necessary for Lois or Chloe, for that matter, to take any extra steps that might provoke Lex. “And before any of you pull the sexist card, I’m including myself in this,” he said. “I tend to pick fights with Lex when we talk because I hate him,” Oliver said with a shrug. “But I’m trying to keep my distance for now.” He didn’t want to give Lex any extra incentive to hurt Chloe or Tess. 

“Does that mean you want me to stop giving interviews?” Tess asked. She felt like she’d done nothing but talk to reporters since the initial press conference when she had made her announcement. She spent more time talking than she did doing her actual job and it was wearing on her nerves. Lex had managed to dig up her past in New Orleans and one reporter had actually asked her if there were suspicious circumstances surrounding her adoptive father’s death. It had taken every ounce of self-control she had not to choke him.

Oliver nodded. “You’ve gotten your side of the story out there and you’ve got the sympathy vote since everyone knows what a heartless bastard Lionel Luthor was.” His body stiffened, his chest tight as he thought about Lionel murdering his parents. Oliver swallowed hard, doing his best to push the thoughts aside. “I think we can halt the interviews as long as Lex is keeping up his no comment policy,” he finished.

Chloe felt him tense beside her and she rested a hand on his leg giving it a light squeeze. She remembered what Oliver told her about his parents and Lionel and it made her heart ache. What kind of a man did something like that? She shook her head lightly and caught Lois’s eyes rolling hers slightly at Clark and Oliver’s words.

Chloe had never been one to distance herself from the action and she wasn’t going to start now. She was going to stay exactly where she was doing the work she was doing and that was that. She’d talk to Lois and go over some plans to snoop around for information on Lex later; hmm maybe she would even include Tess.

She knew the other woman was getting antsy and they all needed something to keep themselves busy and to feel like they were actually doing something. “I think it’s a good idea for you to all not go out of your way to antagonize Lex, but no one is saying to hide. Tess is really putting herself out there for this and I want to make sure we have all our bases covered for when Lex tries something, because like Oliver said we know he will.”

Hal pursed his lips and tilted his head with a nod. “What about patrolling? Are we making a schedule for that so when one of us is out the other is checking in on everything else?” He asked lightly his thumb caressing Tess’s side.

“That’s a good idea,” Oliver said as he placed his hand over Chloe’s on his leg. He glanced at Clark. “Hal and I have been patrolling together, but we’ve both been pretty lax about it since the explosion and then Tess’s announcement.” Neither of them had wanted to leave Chloe and Tess alone even though they knew they were perfectly safe in the clock tower.

“But I wouldn’t put it past Lex to create some sort of diversion to hold our attention. He doesn’t know our identities, but he must now Green Arrow and Green Lantern have been spotted in Metropolis and that’s got to piss him off considering the damage we’ve done to his facilities.” He glanced at Clark. “Would you be open to working out a schedule?” Aside from admitting that he was worried about Lois putting herself in harm’s way, Clark hadn’t said much.

Clark gave Lois a sideways glanced and he could see the urging on her face. She really wanted him to try and play nice with Oliver and Hal so he’d suck it up for now and do that. But at some point he needed to talk to Chloe and he also wanted to try and get a feel for Oliver when they were surrounded by people that is.

He nodded. “I can’t do that. I usually patrol every night, but I guess since there are going to be more of us patrolling we don’t all need to be out at the same time,” He said lightly.

Chloe smiled and leaned forward slightly. She was really glad that Clark was cooperating with everything even though she could see that he was still uncomfortable. She tried to catch his eyes but it was almost as if he refused to look at her. The smile left her face and she sighed lightly. He was obviously still angry with her for not telling him about Tess. Well that didn’t matter right now.

They needed to focus and if he wanted to be angry with her fine. Her stomach clenched slightly as she took a sip of her coffee and nodded. “I think that’s good, you three can maybe sit down and work out a schedule when you have the chance,” She said, tone neutral.

“Is that everything for now?” Tess asked. She knew she probably sounded rude, but she didn’t care. She was tired of talking about this and she wanted to go back to her own apartment. “I have some work to catch up on.” She stood up and glanced at Hal, guilt tightening in her chest when she saw the surprise on his face.

“You can stay if you want,” she said quickly, not wanting him to think that she was forcing him to leave. “I don’t know if you guys have stuff to go over.” She rubbed her hands over her arms as a sudden chill went through her. Even though she had known what she was getting herself into, Tess was still struggling to adjust and this was too much right now.

Hal stood up immediately and wrapped an arm around her. He knew even though she put up a tough front that Tess was having trouble dealing with things. He knew that she thought he was sleeping when she got up and paced at night or just tossed and turned in bed. But he was awake. Sometime he would try to comfort her and other times he would let her be knowing she was trying to work through things, but not entirely sure how to.

He dropped his arm to her hand and gripped it tightly, “Oliver can fill me in on the rest later, let’s head back to the apartment, maybe order some dinner,” He said quietly near her ear before placing a kiss on her cheek and nodding in Clark and Lois’s direction. “Thanks for coming and agreeing to help.” He said before turning to Oliver. “Give me a call later man and let me know what’s up, night Chloe.”

Her brows creased, but she gave them a small smile. “Night guys,” She said softly her thumb stroking Oliver’s leg as she watched them start heading towards the elevator.

“I’ll call you later,” Oliver said. He wished there was something he could say or do to make this easier for Tess, but he knew there wasn’t. All any of them could do now was find a way to bring Lex down once and for all. He turned back to Lois and Clark and was glad to see that they hadn’t gotten up as well. Even though he wasn’t a fan of Clark’s by any means, Oliver knew he was important to Chloe and Lois was her family. He didn’t want the strange tension between them to get worse. “Can I get anyone anything? Water? Alcohol?” he teased.   

“I could go for a drink,” Lois said. She thought things had gone well but it was obvious they still had a long way to go. She rubbed her hand over Clark’s arm. “Honey, do you want something to drink?” She was hoping Clark would take the hint and understand that she wanted to stay for awhile. She didn’t want to make him uncomfortable but she did want him to get to know Oliver better and she definitely wanted him to stop looking at Chloe like she was the enemy.

Clark sighed, he obviously wasn’t getting out of there any time soon so he nodded and gave Oliver a tight smile. “Sure, water would be great, thanks.” He said lightly.

Before Oliver could say anything Chloe got up and glanced at Lois. “Why don’t you come with me to the kitchen to grab some drinks Lo?” She asked while nodding her head in the direction of the room. She’d been dying to talk to her cousin for days, but things had been hectic.

Clark pursed his lips not wanting to be left alone with the other man, but knowing that he should probably apologize for the way he acted when they first met. It was important to Lois that they at least tried to be civil to one another, so he’d do that for her.

“Sure thing, Chlo,” Lois agreed. She got to her feet and sent Clark a _‘play nice’_ look before she followed her cousin into the kitchen. 

Oliver got to his feet and motioned toward the wet bar as he walked over to pour himself a glass of scotch. He felt like he was going to need it if he was going to have a conversation with Clark. “Can I interest you in something alcoholic?” he asked.

He wasn’t sure alcohol had any effect on someone like Clark. He knew a little about his powers from Chloe and Victor had given him some insight once Oliver had told him what was going on. But he hadn’t asked too many questions because he figured the other man already didn’t like him and he doubted he’d appreciate him prying into his life more than he already had.

“I know this isn’t an ideal situation,” Oliver continued as he poured himself a generous glass. “But Hal and I appreciate your help. Tess knew she was going to be in the line of fire and she accepted that, but it’s taking a toll on her. Keeping her safe is a priority,” he said as he paused to take a drink. He wasn’t sure if it was his place to say anything about the way Clark had been treating Chloe or if he should just stay out of it. Oliver wasn’t the type to keep his mouth shut and he kept going. “Look, I can see that you’re upset with Chloe and I know some of that is my fault. I’m not trying to cause trouble between you,” he said.

Clark watched Oliver and shook his head. “No thank you, I don’t drink. Plus it doesn’t really have any effect on me even if I did,” He said lightly before pushing himself off the couch and slipping his hands into his pockets. He needed to move and expel some of the energy that was eating away at him. He was quiet for a minute choosing his words carefully before speaking.

“I don’t mind helping, I’m sure it can’t be easy for Tess. Finding out you have this whole family you never knew about is definitely an earth shattering experience,” He said while glancing around the living room as he thought back to when he was fourteen and his parents told him who he really was, or what he really was for that matter.

He attempted to keep the tension out of his body and voice when he addressed Oliver’s next words. “I don’t think you’re intentionally trying to cause trouble between Chloe and me, we’ve had issues that have been building for a while and they aren’t just about you,” He told him, tone clipped. He wasn’t about to get into things with someone he didn’t trust, but he didn’t want to come off rude either by ignoring his question.

“Okay then,” Oliver said. He tried not to roll his eyes as he finished his glass of scotch in one gulp and then poured himself another. Maybe it wasn’t possible for him to have a pleasant conversation with Clark and that was just fine. He’d tried and that was all he was going to do. He moved back toward the seating area and sat down in the chair Chloe had been sitting in.

He sipped his second glass slowly as he watched Clark pacing. The guy was definitely wound too tight. “So you don’t want to talk about Chloe and I’m guessing Lois is probably off limits too. We could just sit here quietly and wait for them to come back. Unless you want to talk sports or the weather or something,” he suggested.

Oliver knew he was probably coming off like a jackass, but he didn’t really care. It wasn’t like Clark could lower his opinion of him much more. He didn’t know what his problem was and it didn’t seem like Clark was interested in bridging the gap between them. As long as he did his part to keep everyone safe, Oliver could live with his bad attitude.

Clark paused in his pacing and controlled his urge to glare at the blonde in front of him. Rationally speaking he knew Oliver was being an ass because he wasn’t exactly coming off friendly and he promised Lois he’d try. So he took a deep breath and turned to face Oliver. “Look I know I didn’t exactly leave you with the greatest impression when we met either time, but you need to understand I don’t trust people easily and while I know Chloe trusts you,” He paused hesitating before continuing.

“Well she hasn’t always had the best track record when it comes to guys. I can’t just trust you because she does, but I do want to apologize for coming off rude. You obviously handle things differently than I do and apparently now, so does Chloe.” He said tensing slightly, but immediately releasing the tension.

“And that’s fine. As long as you don’t expect me to start changing my outlook on things I think we’ll be able to work together just fine and I’ll do my best to help where I can,” He told him lightly. “Plus Lois is my girlfriend and Chloe’s her cousin,” He said, “And somehow I don’t see you leaving any time soon, so it looks like we’ll be around each other for the foreseeable future and I’d like it if we can try to get along…if not for us, for them.”

“That’s fine,” Oliver said. His voice was still tight and he took another sip of scotch and forced himself to stop being so defensive. He knew Clark was only apologizing because Lois had probably told him to, but he was still apologizing and the least Oliver could do was accept it without making things worse. “Thanks for saying that and you’re right, we do see things differently.” He shrugged; that was going to change anytime soon. “But we have the same goal and that’s what matters. I appreciate you putting your feelings for my methods aside to help us.”

He leaned forward to set the glass down on the table. “I get that your issues with Chloe are none of my business and you don’t want me involved. I can live with that, but you’re right. I’m not going away anytime soon so you and I are going to have to get used to being around one another without all this tension. Let’s just agree to disagree and leave it at that,” he suggested. Oliver figured that was the best compromise they were going to be able to manage.

Clark nodded. “I can do that,” He said quietly before moving back to the couch and sitting down slowly. “Agreeing to disagree is good.” He told him while resting his hands on his thighs. “So…has Chloe found a new apartment yet?” He asked casually attempting to make conversation while the girls were in the other room. He idly wondered how much longer they’d be.

“No, but she hasn’t been looking,” Oliver replied. He knew this was a dangerous subject, but Clark had brought it up. He grabbed his drink from the table and leaned back in the chair. “I asked her to stay with me until the Lex situation is taken care of. I know Chloe is capable of handling herself, but I feel better knowing she’s here and that she’s safe and she’s humoring me,” he said.

He knew that if Chloe didn’t want to be there, she wouldn’t be and he was confident Clark knew her well enough to know that too. He took another sip of his drink, refraining from swallowing the whole glass at once as he let Clark take in what he’d just told him. Oliver really hoped Chloe and Lois wouldn’t be much longer.

Clark pursed his lips for a second before nodding. “I see how that can make sense.” He glanced towards the kitchen and leaned in slightly lowering his voice as he met Oliver’s gaze. “She must really like you if she’s actually listening and staying put for the time being.” He told him before leaning back and shrugging. “That’s more luck than I’ve ever had with her. Chloe’s,” He paused, “Very free spirited.” He said with a small grin, “She and Lois definitely keep heroes of any kind in business with all the trouble they attract,” He said lightly.

Oliver laughed. “I can see that. Chloe has told me a few stories,” he said. Oliver couldn’t believe Clark had actually given him somewhat of a compliment by suggesting that Chloe must really like him, but he’d take it. For the first time since he’d met Clark in any capacity, Oliver let himself relax. He set his drink down again and asked Clark what he was working on for the Planet, figuring they could use some light conversation.

Lois sat down on one of the stools by the center island as she watched her cousin move toward the refrigerator to get drinks. She couldn’t help noticing how her cousin seemed perfectly at home in Oliver’s apartment. She also noticed a new closeness between the two that would probably be invisible to anyone but her.

“So, it seems like you and Oliver are handling the cohabiting thing pretty well,” she commented. She tapped her fingers lightly against the counter as she waited for Chloe to turn and face her. “Anything you want to tell me?” she asked.

Chloe took the pitcher of water out, shut the refrigerator and turned back around, grin on her face as she glanced at her cousin. She moved over pouring four glasses of water and shrugged. “There might be,” She said lightly before moving back towards the refrigerator and putting the water back. When Chloe turned back around she leaned against the counter and watched Lois for a minute before speaking. “Oliver and I have decided to make some changes in our standing arrangement,” She said lightly. “So we’re seeing each other.” She said voice low as a bright smile pulled at her lips.

“Duh,” Lois replied. She rolled her eyes at her cousin’s nonchalant attitude. She knew her way too well to believe that this whole thing was no big deal. “Come on, Chloe. It’s me,” she reminded her. “I’ve known for weeks that you liked Oliver as more than a friend and now you’re finally admitting it and you’re just acting like it’s a regular day. No,” Lois said firmly. “I want details. _Juicy_ details,” she added pointedly with a smirk. It had been a long time since she’d had good gossip about her cousin’s love life and now she was dating a billionaire. Lois needed to hear a lot more than Chloe was giving her.

Chloe hesitated. “Those _are_ the juicy details,” She said with a shrug, “After the explosion we talked…well there was kissing,” Chloe flushed slightly remembering the night of the explosion, “And then we talked and now we’re together.” She told her lightly, a small grin slipping onto her lips. “And honestly Lo, I don’t think I could be happier if I tried.” She said softly.

Lois studied Chloe’s face carefully, looking for any sign that she was holding out on her. Judging by her flushed skin, there was more to the kissing than she was letting on, but Lois knew her cousin wasn’t one to rush things so she believed that she was being upfront with her. Lois smiled at the dreamy look on Chloe’s face. “That’s really great, Chlo. I’m happy for you. It’s about time something good came out of all of this,” she said.

Chloe nodded. “You’re very right,” She said before tilting her head and moving towards the island. “So how are things going with you? What’s it like at the Planet these days?” She asked while leaning forward. Something about her cousin looked different, but she couldn’t really put her finger on it.

“Actually, there is something I want to talk to you about and I guess now is as good a time as any,” Lois said. She bit the corner of her lip as she tried to hold in her excitement. “Clark asked me to move in with him. Not just temporarily but like for the foreseeable future kind of thing.” She couldn’t hold back her smile.

“I know it’s probably kind of soon and it’s me so of course it seems rushed and I think we’re all a little shocked that I’m not on the other side of the world right now hiding, but this feels right, Chlo.” Lois knew she was babbling, but she really wanted Chloe to be happy for her. She knew she was going to be disrupting her cousin’s life with this news and she felt bad about that. “I know it’s sudden,” she said. “What do you think?” she asked nervously.

Chloe’s eyes widened slightly, but she shook the surprise away quickly and moved around the counter to give her cousin a hug. “Lois, that’s, wow,” She said with a laugh, “I think that’s great. If you’re happy then I’m happy for you, you know that Lois,” She said softly before pulling back and catching her cousins gaze. “I can’t believe he asked you to move in. That’s big,” She said, smiling pulling at her lips. “I think that’s really great, congratulations.” She said while pulling Lois in for another hug.

“Thanks,” Lois said. She beamed at Chloe, relieved that her cousin wasn’t upset with her. “I know this affects you too but I figured with that small fortune Oliver is paying you that you won’t have a problem affording rent on your own,” she teased. “But I will miss living with you. A lot,” she added. She pulled Chloe into another hug. “Although I’m sure you’re pretty comfortable at the moment with Oliver.” Lois smirked at Chloe as she moved back to her seat.

Chloe gave Lois half a smile. “Who can really complain about a penthouse apartment?” She joked before shrugging. “It’s nice here and Oliver is beyond accommodating, but as soon as this whole Lex thing blows over I’ll be hitting the for rent ads,” She said lightly. “Not that I don’t enjoy being here with Oliver,” She grinned, “I tell you that man is no slouch to wake up next to, but you know me. I need my own space and I don’t want to be forced into living with Oliver out of need.” She told her.

“If he and I were to ever actually live together, I’d like it to be because we both want to and because we’re both ready…which we’re not, you know?” She asked lightly.

“Believe me, I get that, Chlo,” Lois said. She still couldn’t believe she was moving in with Clark after a few months and wasn’t panicking about it. Maybe she would when everything calmed down with Lex and the whole thing would feel more real. She still hadn’t processed that their apartment was gone even though she had gone shopping for the basics and started replenishing her wardrobe the best she could on her measly Planet paycheck. Lex certainly wasn’t generous with his employees. She started to make a comment about that, but something else Chloe said registered in her head. 

“Back up a sec, cuz,” Lois said. She folded her arms across her chest and gave her cousin a smug look. “Did you say that you’re waking up next to Oliver every morning?” She raised an eyebrow at her cousin. “Were all the guest rooms taken?” she teased.

Chloe rolled her eyes. “No, Ollie’s bed is amazing though, plus it’s weird to stay here and sleep in a different room,” She said with a shrug. “This place is kind of big…I don’t like being all by myself,” She said before chuckling at how ridiculous her words sounded. “I know, that sounds weird, but I mean we’re dating. It’s not unheard of for two people who are dating to share a bed,” She said uncertainty coloring her voice. “Is it?" 

Lois rolled her eyes. “Of course not, Chlo,” she said. “I’m just teasing you. Seriously, cuz, I’m really happy that you’re so happy and that you’re sharing a bed with a billionaire.” She winked as she got up from the stool. “Speaking of, we should probably get back out there because I’m sure they’re wondering what to talk about by now. But before we do…” She hesitated for a moment.

“I know things are tense between you and Clark right now, but he’s trying. I think he feels left out and I know that’s his own fault,” she added before Chloe had a chance to say anything. “But try and cut him some slack. Please,” she added. Lois didn’t want to push Chloe or Clark, but she couldn’t just stand by and say nothing either. It wasn’t who she was.

Chloe sighed and gave Lois half a smile. “Yeah, sure Lo, no problem,” She said lightly while grabbing two of the glasses and pointing at the other two, “Can you grab those?” She asked while moving out of the kitchen, into the hallway, and back into the living room. She paused in the doorway blinking slightly at the sight in front of her. Clark was actually smiling as Oliver laughed lightly. She was confused, not unhappy in the slightest, but definitely confused.

“Care to share the funny boys,” She asked lightly while handing one of the glasses of water to Oliver and sitting on the arm of his chair, eyebrows raised.

Lois sighed as she watched Chloe walk away. Apparently she wasn’t ready to talk about the Clark issue. She grabbed the other two glasses and made her way back into the living room. She was just as surprised as Chloe to see that not only were the guys behaving themselves, they seemed like they were getting along. She handed Clark one of the glasses and sat down on the couch beside him as she waited to hear the answer to Chloe’s question. 

Oliver smiled at Chloe and wrapped his arm around her waist as he held the water in his other hand. “Clark and I were just exchanging some of our more colorful excuses that we’ve used over the years when we’ve had to disappear at a moment’s notice. I usually go for the drunken mess but Clark puts some effort into it.” He laughed again as he recalled some of the lame excuses Clark had shared with him.

Chloe smiled, “Ah creativity at its finest,” She said before glancing at Clark and giving him a small smile. “Congratulations on your new roommate, she snores,” Chloe joked as she met Clark’s gaze.

His face brightened slightly and he glanced at Lois taking her free hand in his as he looked back at Chloe. “Thanks, I was a little surprised she said yes,” He teased as he looked back at Lois, “But I’m glad she did,” He said softly.

“I do not snore,” Lois said defensively. Maybe she did when she’d been drinking a lot or she was sleeping heavily, but for the most part she didn’t. Lois made a face at her cousin before turning and smiling at Clark. “I’m glad I said yes too.” She pressed a light kiss to his lips. “We should probably get going. It’ll take awhile to get through that crowd of reporters and back to the car,” she pointed out.

“You’re welcome to stay for dinner if you want,” Oliver offered. “There are a bunch of good takeout places around here. But if you have to go, use the side exit that’s to the left of the elevator. It’ll take you to the private access street that the reporters aren’t allowed on. If you follow it around, you’ll find yourself on the street you originally came in on.” He knew sooner or later the reporters would pick up on the exit and they’d have to find another route, but so far it was working and all four of them had been coming and going down that street to get to the parking garage beneath the building.

Before Lois could say anything Clark spoke. “We appreciate it, but we’ve got a two hour drive back to Smallville because someone who shall remain nameless wouldn’t let me speed here,” he said while sending a pointed look in Lois’s direction. His eyes were affectionate though and he when he turned back to Oliver he smiled slightly. “Maybe another time, but thanks for the offer.” He said while glancing at his girlfriend. “You ready to head out?”

“Excuse me for trying to make sure your identity remains a secret,” Lois replied. But there was no malice in her tone as she looked at Clark affectionately. “There’s a reason Oliver is laughing at the excuses you used all the time, Smallville. Honestly, it’s a good thing I got knocked out a lot or I would have figured it out long before you finally admitted it to me. Yes, I’m ready to go,” she added as she got to her feet.

She smiled at Chloe and Oliver. “We should do dinner sometime soon though.” Her mind was already plotting double dates now that Clark and Oliver had established they could be in the same room without yelling or name-calling. “Chlo, call me if you find anything interesting or you know, if there’s something juicy,” she added pointedly.

Chloe just shook her head, “As always Lois it’s a pleasure, now out you go, both of you…have a good night and I’ll call you sometime this week, we’ll grab some coffee,” She said lightly while sending a glare in her cousin’s direction.

Clark made a face and tugged on Lois’s hand as he waved at Chloe and Oliver. “We’ll see you guys,” He said while pushing open the grate and getting in the elevator.

“Thanks again, drive safe,” Oliver called politely as he watched them get into the elevator. All and all, he thought that had gone a lot better than he’d been expecting it to. He knew Tess and Hal needed some time to themselves, but it seemed like Clark was coming around, at least enough that he would help them without endless lectures or disapproving looks.

Even though their conversation had started out rocky, Oliver and Clark had gotten to a point where they could joke, at least a little, about their situations and Oliver considered that a win. Plus Chloe seemed happier now that she’d spent some time with her cousin. As soon as the doors closed, he raised an eyebrow in her direction. “What kind of juicy information is Lois looking for?” he asked.

Chloe rolled her eyes and glanced away from him as she shook her head. “Ignore my cousin, she’s mentally unstable,” She told him lightly while moving off the arm of the chair and shifting to the couch that was near the chair. She motioned towards the closed elevator doors. “So that looks like things went better than they did the other day. I’m glad you two were able to find some common ground,” She said with a soft smile in an attempt to change the subject.

“Yeah, I still don’t think he likes me, but I think we can work together without killing each other,” Oliver said. He set the water down on the table and picked up his scotch again before settling back into the chair. He knew the real test wouldn’t come until Lex forced their hand, but he really didn’t want to think about that at the moment.

“What do you want to do for dinner?” he asked. He took another sip of his drink as his mind started to drift. There were so many variables in play and they hardly had control over any of them. Oliver despised not being in control especially when the stakes were so high. He hated knowing that they were basically just waiting for Lex to make a move and hope they could catch his mistake. It didn’t seem like enough.

Chloe could see the faraway look in his eyes and she frowned slightly and reached over rubbing his arm lightly. “Whatever you’re in the mood for is fine with me. You okay over there?” She asked softly. Chloe knew he had a lot on his mind and he was worried about how Tess was handling things. She was too. But he had also seamed tense the last day or so and she couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in his head.

Oliver nodded. “I was just thinking about everything and trying to come up with a new way to bring down Lex. The usual,” he said as he finished off the scotch. He was tempted to pour himself another, but there was no reason he needed more than the two large glasses he’d already had. Oliver knew he had meetings the following morning and it wasn’t wise to show up with a headache from being hung over. “I’ll order from the Italian place,” he said, knowing it was her favorite. “Do you want to watch a movie or something?” He felt like they should do something other than sit around obsessing over Lex.

Chloe studied him for a minute before moving from her seat on the couch, closing the distance between them and sitting carefully on his lap. She took the empty glass from his hand and placed it on the table in front of them. She cupped his cheeks and leaned down pressing a light kiss under his eye and then on his cheek. She knew Oliver put a lot of pressure on himself to always be on top of everything and sometimes she felt like he didn’t take a break just for himself.

Chloe ignored his words, tilted his head back with her hand and let her lips trail all the way down to his jaw. “You seem a little stressed Hero,” She said in between kisses. “Maybe there’s something I can to do help you relax,” She whispered against his skin before closing her lips over his pulse point and sucking the skin into her mouth as she slid her other hand up his chest.

He groaned, his heart instantly speeding up the second her lips touched his skin. Oliver buried his hand in her hair, weaving the soft tresses around his fingers as she sucked on his neck. His eyes drifted shut for a moment as his other hand rested on her thigh, his fingers sliding along the material of her skirt. “I think you’re already doing it.” Oliver tilted her head up so that he could kiss her lips. He took his time, deepening the kiss and exploring the warm cavern of her mouth until they were both breathless. 

Oliver desperately wanted her. It was getting harder and harder for him to control himself and having her on his lap was not helping. He didn’t think Chloe would be against taking the next step, but he couldn’t help thinking that she still deserved better than what he’d given her so far. They’d barely left the apartment since she’d started staying with him aside from going to work and she’d gone shopping with Tess to pick up some clothes and other essentials. Oliver decided they needed to change that before things went any further.  

“Tomorrow night, I want to take you out,” he said. “Somewhere nice and just the two of us,” he added. Oliver knew there weren’t a lot of choices in Metropolis, but he was determined to find something special for them to do.

Chloe tilted her head, her thumb caressing his cheek as she met his eyes, her heartbeat picking up speed at the feel of his hand on her thigh. “You know, you don’t have to do that Ollie,” She said softly while watching him. “I don’t need expensive dinners.” The words left her mouth and she captured his lips again in a soft drawn out kiss until her lungs burned.

Chloe pulled back and shifted herself slightly so her body was facing him more. “There’s only one thing I need at the moment and well look at that, he’s sitting right beneath me,” She teased a hint of humor on her face.

“Well that is awfully convenient, Sidekick,” Oliver teased. He kissed her again and rubbed his nose against hers. “I know you don’t need an expensive dinner or anything else, Chloe, but that’s why I want to do this.” He stroked her cheek as he looked into her eyes. “We’ve never really done anything that was just for us since we met and I want to change that,” he said.

Oliver knew their relationship had been unconventional long before the whole hero and sidekick thing came into play. From the moment Chloe had shown up in Star City to see Tess, there had always been outside forces to deal with and he knew that wasn’t going to change anytime soon. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t have one night to themselves.

“Think about it,” Oliver said. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her neck, slowly trailing his lips over her skin until he got to the sensitive spot beneath her ear. “It’ll be just the two of us and we can shut out the world for a few hours. I promise I’ll show you a good time,” he teased as he sucked her earlobe into his mouth. “Then we can come back here and be even more alone,” he said as he slid his hand further up her thigh.

Chloe moaned her eyes sliding shut as her hand threaded through the hair on the back of his head. She tilted her head to the side giving his lips better access to her skin as she spoke, voice slightly breathy. “I never said no to dinner Romeo, I just said you didn’t have to,” She told him lightly as she tried to focus on her thoughts as his hand moved further up her leg.

She grinned, her hand sliding under his shirt as her pulse quickened. “Oh I see, someone’s expecting a little after dinner nookie, and yes I totally just said nookie, do not judge me.” She teased before another moan fell from her throat.

Oliver laughed. She never failed to surprise him. “I wouldn’t dream of judging you or of expecting anything of the sort.” He smiled at her. “But the offer is definitely on the table, if you’re interested.” He kissed her softly. “Or if you’d rather just stick with dinner, that’s fine too,” he whispered against her lips.

Chloe groaned against his lips before gripping his face in her hands and deepening the kiss. When she pulled back she gave him a cheeky grin. “You like me,” She told him lightly before poking him gently. “And I’m interested,” She gave him a once over, “Very interested.” She said with a wink. “Cause you know, you’re like, quite the catch Mr. Queen,” She teased in an exaggerated girly voice.

Chloe grinned and scrunched her nose as she met his eyes. “So, sex talk aside, are you ever going to feed me? Cause I’m wasting away,” She said with a pout.

“Glad you think I’m a catch and yes, I’m going to feed you,” Oliver teased. He lifted her off his lap and slid out from underneath her before he set her back down in the chair. “I’ll call for delivery.” He leaned down and kissed her again. “I do like you, Chloe. A lot,” he added pointedly.

Oliver wasn’t even sure _‘like’_ was the right word anymore. One thing he knew for sure was that no one had ever made him feel the way Chloe did and he was looking forward to finally being able to show her how he felt about her. Oliver held her gaze for a moment and then straightened up and made his way toward the kitchen to grab the menu.

Chloe sucked in a sharp breath as she watched him walk away. She hadn’t been able to decipher the look on his face, but it made something inside her stir as her stomach fluttered. She was pretty sure she was falling hard for Oliver Queen and the thought alone both terrified and exhilarated her.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 

Chloe sat at the private table inside the back of the Japanese restaurant, her eyes taking in the dimly lit room with all its extravagant decorations. The place was gorgeous. Oliver had definitely gone above and beyond on this one. She knew this particular restaurant had only opened up a few months ago, but they had chains all over the world and it was absolutely impossible to get into, unless of course you were Oliver Queen.

 

Her eyes drifted to the empty seat across from her and tried to ignore the eyes she could feel on her. The reporters and other tabloid writers had finally found the small back road that they had all been taking to avoid them and of course they’d been bombarded by reporters on their way out to dinner. Most of them only asked them about Tess, but a few snapped photos and asked some lewd questions that hadn’t put Oliver in the greatest of moods, but she knew he was used to dealing with the media.

 

They had talked on the drive over to dinner and she’d been able to put him back in a good mood, which was always nice. With everything she knew about Oliver, there was still so much she didn’t know, like the normal everyday stuff. Chloe couldn’t help but smile at that. She knew Oliver’s deep dark secret, but she didn’t know what his favorite movie was or which holidays he celebrated or even when his birthday was.

 

Their relationship was definitely not conventional in the slightest, but she sort of loved that about them. That they followed their own rules and didn’t try to live up to any expectations. It made things easier, more comfortable, for her at least. Chloe had never been really good at the whole relationship thing. Jimmy had been her most serious boyfriend and well, then ended when she broke up with him after finding out about her powers and realizing she just didn’t care about him the way she should.

 

But since him it was pretty much just her and a part of her was slightly worried that she’d mess things up with Oliver or worse she’d disappoint him somehow. Chloe shook her head pushing away all negative thoughts and reached forward lifting her wine glass to her lips and taking a small sip to calm her nerves. She didn’t know why she was so nervous all of a sudden, it was just Oliver. She glanced at her watch and it was around seven fifteen. Oliver had gotten a call about five minutes ago that he’d begrudgingly had to take, but she completely understood.

 

Sometimes there were just some things that needed his attention. She knew how both his jobs worked and how hard he tried to manage everything and she’d never give him a hard time about a silly phone call. She brushed her hand down her deep purple dress and was pondering going to check her hair in the bathroom when her thoughts were interrupted by Oliver pulling out his chair and sitting back down. Chloe smiled, “Everything alright?” She asked quietly.

 

“Yes, everything is taken care of and hopefully that will be the last interruption,” Oliver assured her. He normally would have ignored the call, but he was trying to handle as much as possible at the office to give Tess a break. That had actually been her assistant calling from Star City to talk about a meeting that needed to be scheduled later in the week. Oliver was going to suggest that Hal take Tess home for a few days so she could attend the meeting and he figured it would be good for her to be away from the pressure of seeing Lex.  
      
But he couldn’t help feeling guilty that business was tainting what was technically his first date with Chloe. It amused him when he thought about how much he cared about her and the fact that she’d been sleeping in his bed for a few weeks and they’d never gone on a date. Oliver had wanted tonight to be special for her and between the reporters who’d harassed them when they’d left the apartment and his business calls; the night wasn’t really turning out the way Oliver had wanted it to. He pushed aside the negative thoughts and smiled at Chloe.  
   

“Have I mentioned how stunning you look tonight?” Oliver asked. He reached for her hand across the table and brought it to his lips. When she’d come downstairs and he’d gotten a good look at her dress, he’d wanted nothing more than to carry her back upstairs and peel it off of her. Oliver had every intention of doing that when they went home but first he wanted her to enjoy herself and relax. She deserved a nice night out after the last few weeks.

 

Chloe grinned, flushing slightly at the compliment. “Thank you. You don’t clean up so bad yourself,” She said lightly, a warm smile gracing her lips. “This place is really gorgeous Ollie, I’ve seen it on the way to work, but I’ve never been inside,” She told him lightly her eyes moving back to him. “Lois is going to be jealous,” She joked as she threaded her fingers through his.

 

She felt a familiar spark go through her body as she ran her thumb over his hand. “So, what were you saying before your phone call?” She asked lightly. “I think you were telling me about the last trip you took for fun? Or maybe that was a lack of travelling for fun. All work and no play,” She teased as she squeezed his hand lightly.

 

“What can I say? I’m a dull boy,” Oliver teased. He was enjoying the way the candlelight reflected in her eyes and made them shine that much brighter. He was pretty sure Chloe had no idea how beautiful she really was. He took a moment to remember what he’d been talking about before the phone rang. “It’s been too long since I’ve taken a trip that wasn’t business,” he admitted.

 

“But three or four months ago, the team and I were in Prague. We were following up on a case that Vic had been working on. There was a group of thieves that were stealing art from museums and smuggling them into Prague to sell them on the black market there. Anyway, it rained the entire time we were there and we spent four miserable days in one hotel room while we were staking out the club where the trades were taking place. It’s a miracle no one died. Not from the mission, but from one of my arrows,” he said.

 

Chloe chuckled lightly. She could tell by the way he talked about the team that despite his words he really cared about them and she thought that was sweet. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to spend that much time in one room with all of them.” She said lightly while tilting her head and lifting her glass from the table. “How are they all doing?” She asked lightly. “I haven’t seen any of them in a long time.” She said while bringing the glass to her lips and taking another small sip.

 

“They’re good. They’ve been staying busy which is a good thing,” Oliver said. It wasn’t good in the sense that there was more crime in the world, but none of the guys liked idly sitting on the sidelines for any length of time. Oliver understood because he was the same way. Plus it was always better when they had things to occupy them so he didn’t have to babysit them or listen to their gripes about one another. “I’m hoping none of them have a reason to migrate toward Metropolis anytime soon,” he admitted as he reached for his wine.  
   

Oliver felt the familiar tension building in his shoulders and quickly pushed it aside. They weren’t supposed to be talking about work or the dark cloud that was constantly hanging over their heads because of Lex. He set his glass back down and focused on Chloe. “What about you, Sidekick?” he asked lightly. “When you’re not working to save the world, what do you do in your spare time?” Oliver knew it was strange that they seemed to know so much about each other except for the little things, the things most people took for granted like hobbies and preferences. He knew they weren’t most people and they were never going to be, but Oliver still wanted to know more about Chloe.

 

She opened her mouth and then closed it sending him a slightly sheepish look. “Honestly most of my time is spent working,” She said while putting her glass down and meeting his gaze. “Unless I’m with Lois. She usually drags me out when she feels I’ve been sitting in front of the computer too much.” She told him lightly. “And before Lex took over at the Planet I spent a lot of time chasing stories and getting into trouble,” She said, her eyes bright.

 

“I tend to attract danger,” She said with a shrug, “So a lot of my time is spent, dodging bullets, running from criminals, getting kidnapped and things of that nature.” She joked. “But when we’re not doing that, movies, there was school,” She paused and let out a small laugh. “As you can see I don’t really get out much. A lot of my time these days is divided between helping Clark, work, and researching Lex. I can’t actually remember the last time I did something that didn’t revolve around one of those three things,” She said brows furrowed slightly.

 

“Well except for tonight,” She said softly while giving him a bright smile. “What about you.” She leaned in and lowered her voice slightly. “When you’re not in board meetings or scaling large building what do you like to do?”

 

“What you see is what you get,” Oliver admitted. “I don’t really have time for hobbies either. Queen Industries keeps me busy and then there’s working with the team and patrolling and then there are my responsibilities as Oliver Queen where I have to attend the charity events or the museum openings or the dull parties where I get to make a fool out of myself just to make sure my name stays in the papers for the right reason so no one thinks twice when I disappear off the grid for a month. People can assume I’m detoxing instead of traveling the world to blow up Lex’s labs. I do enjoy that part,” he said with a grin.  
    

Oliver reached for his wine again and took a sip. “I do think we both need to get out more,” he teased. “Or find another reason to stay in,” he added. Oliver caught her eyes as he rubbed his thumb lightly over the underside of her wrist. “There’s got to be more to life than work, right?”

 

Chloe swallowed heavily, her heartbeat picking up speed as she nodded. “Agreed.” She said softly as she leaned in. “Maybe we should runaway after this whole mess is over,” She joked before moving back towards her seat. Lois was telling her all the time she needed to loosen and she enjoyed teasing Oliver. She liked that she could be herself around Oliver. Even though they hadn’t know each other long she was pretty sure this was the most comfortable she’d ever felt with a man, and that said a lot.

 

She watched him for a minute, taking him in, her eyes running over his body and when she realized she was staring she flushed against and glanced away. Chloe bit her lower lip and looked back up as she tried to think of other things she enjoyed. “Art Galleries. I know a lot of people find them boring, and even though I don’t know much about art, I enjoy looking at different pieces trying to figure out what kind of story the artist is attempting to tell.” She told him quietly.

 

“I like art galleries too,” Oliver said. He also liked the way she kept staring at him, but he was going to be a gentleman and not point that out for the moment. “Actually, I like most museums as long as I’m not there for a benefit. It’s really amazing when you think about it and how certain things can survive over time. Artwork, tools from the Middle Ages, bones of animals that have been extinct for centuries,” he commented. Oliver smiled at Chloe. “There’s something the world doesn’t know about Oliver Queen. He actually cares about history. Imagine the scandal if the tabloids got a hold of that,” he teased.  
    

The server came over with their food and Oliver let go of Chloe’s hand and leaned back in his chair so he could put the plates in front of them. Oliver thanked him and told him they didn’t need anything else for the moment and turned back to Chloe once he had walked away. “The food here is amazing,” he told her. The Star City location was one of his favorite restaurants and the chef was actually a friend of his and he’d made a call to get them the reservation for the evening.

 

Chloe smiled, “You’re secret’s safe with me,” She said before her eyes dropped to her plate. “And the food smells absolutely delicious,” She told him as she lifted her napkin and placed it over her lap before taking her fork from the table and moving it around in her food. “Do you have a favorite movie?” She asked curiosity in her face as she lifted a forkful of food to her mouth, blew on it slightly and then ate it.

 

The flavor from the food hit her tongue and she closed her eyes as she made a small noise in the back of her throat. “Wow, this is really good.” She said while pulling some more onto her fork. “Want to try some?” She asked while lifting the fork again as she met his gaze.

 

Oliver was momentarily distracted by the small noise she had made as his mind drifted to some of the sounds that had escaped her when he’d touched her or kissed her. Chloe was incredibly responsive and he wanted to make her scream. He quickly shook the thought from his head, reminding himself that now was not the time to be thinking about that. “Sure.”

 

He leaned forward and placed his hand over the wrist that was holding the fork as his mouth closed over it. “That is good,” he said when he was finished chewing. He scooped some of his entrée onto his fork and held it out to her. “Try this,” he offered. Oliver could see people around the restaurant glancing at their table, but he didn’t mind. He was sure this looked like exactly what it was; a really great date.  
    

“My favorite movie is probably Robin Hood, the original one,” he said quietly. “I used to watch it with my dad when I was a kid. I don’t really have a lot of time for movies now, but sometimes I’ll put comedies on when I can’t sleep. A little mindless fun,” he said with a shrug. “What about you?”

 

She finished chewing the food she’d taken off his fork while rubbing her thumb over his hand in calming circles, her face soft. “There’s definitely nothing wrong with some mindless fun. And that sounds nice. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the original one,” She said lightly before sending him a thoughtful look. She bit her lower lip, “I like comedies, but my guilty pleasure is probably old movies.” She told him while reaching forward for her wine.

 

“I think I have to say that my favorite movie is a three way tie between His Girl Friday, An Affair to Remember and Gladiator.” She said with a grin.

 

“Gladiator, really?” Oliver asked. “Is this some kind of fetish I should know about, Sidekick?” he teased. Somehow the old movies didn’t surprise him. He could see Chloe liking them more than he could see her being into the current romantic comedies that were marketed to women. Chloe was too smart to be taken in by the tried and true formula. But old movies were different. “An Affair to Remember was my mother’s favorite movie. She made me watch it with her once and I thought it was boring.” Oliver frowned as the words came out of his mouth. He hadn’t remembered that until this moment. He gave Chloe a small smile. “She told me that I would appreciate it more when I was older and I thought she was crazy.”

 

Chloe watched him closely her expression soft. “Well your Mom seems like she was a smart woman,” She said lightly. It was obviously that Oliver didn’t talk much about his parents and it made her chest warm that he felt comfortable bringing them up with her. “Of course you thought it was boring, little boys don’t want to watch movies about love.” She teased gently. “You’ll have to watch it again though and see if she was right,” She told him lightly.

 

She paused for a minute before giving him a sideways glanced. “And no, I don’t have any fetishes that I know of. Though I appreciate good looking half naked men,” She joked and then shrugged. “Oddly enough I have a thing for war movies. Lois and I used to watch them growing up with our Dad’s. Gladiator was good, I liked Braveheart, The Patriot…Troy,” She tilted her head and scrunched her nose.

 

“I wasn’t crazy about Alexander, but there wasn’t actually much fighting there if I remember correctly. Plus there were actual war documentaries and things like that.” She said while eating some more of the food from her plate. She smiled lightly as a thought crossed her mind. She met his eyes, humor on her face as she spoke.

 

“When I was a little girl I used to watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit with my Mother.” She said softly. “I might have gone through a tiny phase where I would dress up like Jessica Rabbit and sing,” She laughed softly. “I haven’t thought about that in years…I was a pretty colorful child,” She said while sending him an affectionate look.

 

“You know if you wanted to bring that phase back, I would fully support you,” Oliver said. He gave her an appreciative once over and the image he suddenly had of her in his head made his throat dry up. He reached for his wine, once again reminding himself that not only were they in public, but they were talking about their childhoods and it was not the time to be thinking of her the way he was thinking of her.

 

“I’m secure enough in my manhood that I can admit this, but I’m not a fan of action movies. I think I see enough of it in life not to want anything to do with it in the little spare time I have.” He set his wine down and took another bite of food.   
    

“I don’t think I watched many cartoons when I was a kid either,” Oliver said thoughtfully. “I never wanted to stay inside longer than I had to because outside was so much more fun. My mom always watched movies late at night. She said it was her way of unwinding from the day, but I think part of it was it kept her company while she waited for my dad to get home from the office.” He paused, considering things.

 

“I fall asleep with the TV on when things aren’t going well at work, particularly my evening job. I never thought about it before but I guess that’s a habit I picked up from her.” He smiled softly at Chloe, surprised at himself for opening up this much about his parents. The ache in his chest didn’t seem as bad as it normally did when he thought about them or talked about them and Oliver attributed that to Chloe.

 

He wanted to tell her about his family and he wanted to hear about hers. He’d never had that feeling with anyone before. Hal was like a brother to him and it was still hard for Oliver to talk about his parents to him.

 

Amusement danced in Chloe’s eyes as she met his gaze. “Mm, I bet you would. I grew out of it pretty quickly though and went straight into my reporter phase, which I don’t think ever really left.” She said lightly as she ran her fingers up and down his arm gently. She couldn’t seem to keep her hands to herself and a part of her felt like he was too far away.

 

She hesitated before speaking. “It must have been hard growing up without them.” She said softly. “It’s nice that you have some good memories though, I wish you could have had more,” She said while squeezing his hand lightly her chest tightened as she thought of what it must have been like for him.

 

She paused and swallowed hard not wanting to overstep her bounds. “I know I don’t know much about your parents, but from what you’ve told me” She said, stopping to meet his eyes, “I’m pretty sure if they were here they’d be incredibly proud of the man you’ve become.” She told him softly.

 

Oliver squeezed her hand. “Thank you,” he replied sincerely. He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked away from her for a minute as he tried to compose himself. He wished he had a way to express just how much her words meant to him. “I always wanted to make them proud and for the longest time I didn’t think I was ever going to. My life was a mess before I got stranded on that island. But ever since then I’ve tried to live up to who they always wanted me to be.” He squeezed her hand again, wishing that they weren’t sitting in a restaurant so he could pull her into his lap and hold her the way he wanted to. Instead, he just held her hand, softly rubbing his thumb over hers for a moment.  
    

“I don’t know about you, but I didn’t expect a conversation about movies to turn so serious,” Oliver joked. He reached for his wine with his free hand and took a sip. “But I’m not sorry it did. I like getting to know you better.” He lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to her hand, letting his lips linger there as he met her eyes across the table.

 

Chloe sucked in a sharp breath her eyes never leaving his as his lips lingered on her hand. She nodded. “Me too,” She said softly while running a tongue unconsciously over her bottom lip. Chloe leaned forward slightly ignoring her half eaten plate of food as she reached out with her other hand and placed it on his arm. “If I haven’t said it before, I’m really glad that you looked me up after I left Star City Ollie…” She said quietly. “And I appreciate how honest you’ve been with me. It means more than you know,” She told him, eyes warm as she kissed the hand that was holding hers.

 

“Me too,” Oliver said. He’d known that he wanted to get to know Chloe better and that she would be an asset to the team, but he hadn’t expected this that day he had knocked on her door and offered her a job. “I appreciate you being honest too. You didn’t have to tell me anything about yourself but you trusted me and that means something to me. You mean a lot to me, Chloe.” He held her gaze as his hand tightened around hers.

 

He wanted her to know how special she was and how he’d never felt this way about anyone before, but Oliver didn’t think the setting was right for that kind of conversation. He glanced down at their plates, both of which were still half-full since they’d been talking so much. “Can I interest you in dessert?” Oliver arched an eyebrow as he stroked the pulse point on the inside of her wrist.

 

Her heartbeat sped up, mouth going slightly dry as swallowed hard to moisten her throat. She leaned even closer to him as she shifted her legs under the table. Chloe slipped her heal off and trailed her foot up the inside of his pant leg while arching an eyebrow right back at him. “That depends…Are we getting dessert to go?” She asked, voice low and drawn out slightly as she continued to caress his leg with her foot.

 

It took Oliver a second to remember how to breathe. “Sneaky.” He caught her foot in his hand and ran his fingers over her calf as he raised his other hand to get the waiter’s attention. He smirked at Chloe as he continued caressing her leg as the waiter made his way over with a polite smile on his face.

 

“Would you please wrap these up? We’d also like an order of chocolate mousse to go and the check, please.” The waiter nodded and took their plates toward the kitchen. Oliver met Chloe’s eyes across the table again as he slid his hand over her knee. “Is there anything else you want?” he asked.

 

Chloe’s heart was slamming against her chest as she leaned back in her seat, her body on high alert as his hand caressed her leg. It took her a second to make sure her voice was steady when she spoke. “I don’t know…Am I going to be getting anything I want tonight Mr. Queen?”

 

She teased softly a hint of mischief in her eyes as she shifted and rested her foot on his thigh while tilting her head to the side. Chloe couldn’t believe she was sitting in the middle of a crowded restaurant with her leg practically in Oliver’s lap. She had no idea what had come over her.

 

“Absolutely,” Oliver replied. He shifted in his chair, knowing they were playing a dangerous game. They still had to walk out of the restaurant and he wasn’t going to be able to do that soon if she kept touching him. The waiter returned with the to-go boxes and the check and Oliver gently pushed Chloe’s foot off his lap so he could reach into his pocket for his wallet. He handed the waiter his card and resisted the urge to tell him to hurry.

 

Chloe flushed at the sight of the waiter near them and slipped her foot back into her heel as she crossed her legs before glancing at Oliver. “Thank you, but I actually have everything I need for the night,” She told him lightly as she met his eyes. “It doesn’t take much to keep me happy.” She teased.

 

Oliver paused at that. Her tone was teasing, but he couldn’t help wondering if she’d ever truly been happy before. He knew he hadn’t. He loved his friends and he cherished the memories he had of his parents, but he’d always assumed he was better off being alone. He wouldn’t be surprised if Chloe had felt the same way. He knew the price of keeping secrets and she had been doing that for years.

 

“I’ll do whatever I can to make sure you’re happy, Chloe,” he told her. The waiter returned with his card and Oliver signed the credit card slip, leaving a generous tip before shaking the man’s hand and getting to his feet. He took the bag with their leftovers and dessert in one hand and held his other hand out to Chloe to help her out of her chair. “Ready?” he asked softly.

 

Chloe paused watching him closely as she swallowed heavily, emotion in her eyes, not sure why his words made her chest tighten. She nodded and stood slowly taking his hand in hers and threading their fingers together. “I’m ready,” She said softly pressing herself against his side.

 

He smiled, pressed a kiss to the side of her head and led her toward the door. Oliver handed his ticket to the valet and noticed that the night air was a lot cooler than it had been when they’d gone into the restaurant. He let go of Chloe’s hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her tight against his side.

 

He wanted to kiss her and put his hands on her the way he’d been imagining all night, but he knew better than to do anything like that in public. There were always paparazzi around places like this and Oliver didn’t want them capturing any private moments between them. It was only a ten minute drive back to the clock tower. Oliver figured if they had waited this long, they could handle another ten minutes.

 

Chloe shivered slightly at the cool breeze and leaned into the arm he had wrapped around her while pressing a hand to his stomach. Her heart was racing, body filled with anticipation and a hint of nervousness as they waited for the car. She turned her head towards his arm and placed a kiss there while her thumb caressed his stomach lightly. “Thank you for dinner,” She said, his shirt muffling her voice slightly.

 

“You’re welcome,” Oliver replied. He held her a little tighter and was glad to see the valet bringing the car a few seconds later. Oliver opened the passenger door for Chloe, waited until she was settled and closed it behind her before moving around to the driver’s side. He slipped the valet some cash and slid into the car. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been in the Midwest for a long period of time,” he commented as he checked the side mirror and pulled the car away from the curb. “Once winter comes, I might never leave the apartment,” he teased.

 

Chloe smirked as she reached out and took his hand. “Don’t worry you’ll leave. Once the winter months come there’s so much to do. We’ll have to go ice skating and have hot chocolate and they have a tree lighting in town,” She said her voice taking on a hint of excitement. “And then of course there’s Christmas,” She grinned. “No hibernating for you Mr. Queen,” She teased as she turned away from him and glanced out the window while trying to calm her heartbeat down.

 

Oliver laughed at her enthusiasm as he squeezed her hand. “All those activities sound cold except for the hot chocolate,” he said as he steered the car down the main road. He knew their secret entrance was no longer a secret so he figured he might as well go in to the parking garage through the direct entrance. The windows were tinted so the photographers wouldn’t be able to get any decent pictures of them. “I guess I can probably be persuaded to do those things with you if you promise to keep me warm.” He glanced sideways at her and winked.

 

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Perv,” She said affectionately as she rested her chin on his shoulder while trailing her fingers over his arm. She leaned in pressing a light kiss to his cheek before moving her lips towards his ear and running her tongue over it as he turned pulling the car into the underground parking garage.

 

“Careful, Chloe, you’re going to get us both killed if you keep doing that,” Oliver said. He was pretty sure his mind had gone blank the second he felt her tongue on his skin and it was sheer luck that he managed to avoid steering the car into the wall. He pulled into his parking spot, put the car in park and shifted in his seat to look at Chloe. “Also, I take offense to that. Maybe I was just talking about you making sure I had a warm sweater.” He gave her a pointed look. She opened her mouth to say something and Oliver cut her off before she could, his lips crashing down on hers. He’d been dying to kiss her all night and he couldn’t stop himself from taking advantage of the fact that they were finally alone.  
    

“God, Chloe, do you have any idea what you do to me?” he whispered. He kissed her again, deepening it as he shifted, pushing her back against her seat. He tangled one of his hands in her hair, the other slipping down to cup her breast through the fabric of her dress. He squeezed her flesh gently, brushing his thumb over her nipple as his tongue danced over hers.

 

Chloe let out a loud moan at the feel of his hand on her breast. She threaded her fingers into the back of his hair as she tried to tug him closer. She could feel her entire body come alive as a wave of arousal shot through her. She could hear her heart beating in her ears as she reached forward tugging at his shirt until she could slip her hand beneath it.

 

She groaned when her hand found the flesh of his stomach, her body tensing in anticipation as her lungs burned from the intensity of his kiss. Chloe pulled back tilting her head to the side as she sucked in several deep breaths. “Oh god, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say the same thing you do to me…” She said her voice breathy as she raked her nails against his abs gently.

 

Oliver sucked in a breath at the feel of her nails on his skin. “I want you, Chloe. So much,” he muttered as his lips trailed over her neck. His hand tightened on her breast as he tweaked the hard peak of her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. His heart was racing and all the blood seemed to have disappeared from his head.

 

He had half a mind to shove her dress up and take her right there on the front seat of his car. Oliver didn’t really think Chloe would complain, but they hadn’t waited this long so they could rush through this.   
    

He forced himself to pull back, breathing hard as he stared at her, his eyes dark with lust. “We should go inside. Now,” Oliver added forcefully. He turned off the engine and pulled the keys out of the ignition, barely remembering to grab the bag of food he had tossed on the floor of the backseat. He slammed his door shut, the sound echoing through the quiet parking garage, but all he could hear was the sound of his heart beating as he waited for Chloe to join him.

 

Chloe sat there for a minute in an attempt to get herself together. She pushed open the car door, her heart still beating a mile a minute as she got out of the car and closed the door behind her. She swallowed heavily the look in Oliver’s eye’s making her stomach clench. She reached out and hesitated a second before gripping his arm lightly.

 

Her entire body was humming because of a few well placed touches in the front of his car. If he could get her this worked up with some light groping she couldn’t imagine what he could do when he had more space and time. Chloe couldn’t remember ever reacting to someone the way she did to Oliver and a part of that terrified her, but at the same time excited her too.

 

Oliver managed to keep his hands to himself as they walked to the elevator, but the second he pressed the button for the penthouse, the bag of food he was carrying ended up on the floor and he pushed Chloe back against the wall of the elevator, pressing his hips tight against hers. He watched her for a moment, taking in her flushed skin, heavy breathing and the rapid rise and fall of her chest. He cupped her chin in his hand, tilting her head up so she was looking into his eyes and then slowly lowered his head until his lips touched hers.  
    

The kiss was slow and deep, nothing like the frantic, desperate kisses they’d exchanged in the car. He drew the kiss out, pulling back and sucking her bottom lip into his mouth as he buried his hand in her hair once again. When air became an issue, Oliver trailed his lips over her neck, pressing soft kisses against her skin. He dropped his other hand to her hip, squeezing her body softly as he kissed the racing pulse in her neck.

 

Chloe let her head tilt to the side giving him better access to her neck as her hands slid under the blazer he was wearing pushing it off his shoulders and down his arms. She could feel the vibration of her heart beat through her entire body and the feel of his lips against her skin were driving her crazy. Every time he touched her his hands left a trail of warmth in their wake and the only thing she could focus on were the things he was making her body feel.

 

The sound of the material of his blazer hitting the floor and heavy breathing was the only thing that filled the elevator. She pressed her body closer to his as she gripped the back of his head in a tight grip. “Ollie…” She moaned his name not able to concentrate enough to figure out what she wanted to say so instead she dropped a hand to his belt and tugged him closer.

 

“Chloe,” Oliver whispered her name against her skin. There were so many things he wanted to say to her that he didn’t know where to start. He brought his hands to her face again as he kissed her. “I’ve wanted you for so long,” he said when the kiss broke. He held her gaze as he rocked his hips against hers, needing her to feel just how desperately he wanted her. Oliver vaguely registered the sound of the elevator doors open and he dropped his hands to Chloe’s hips and moved backward out of the elevator, pulling her with him into the apartment, the food and his jacket forgotten on the floor.

 

Chloe nodded letting him pull her into the apartment as she gripped his neck and covered his mouth with hers pressing a heated kiss against his lips. She deepened the kiss and refused to pull back until breathing was an issue. When she shifted back Chloe spoke between placing kisses along his jaw. “I have too, so bad.” Her chest was rising and falling quickly as her lips trailed to his ear. “I’ve never felt like this…” She whispered against his skin while pressing her body against him. “I feel like you’re so far away from me,” She said before moving her lips back to his.

 

“Me too, Chloe,” Oliver said. He gripped her hips and lifted her body up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. He kissed her lips, her neck, her shoulder, every part of her skin his lips could reach as he carried her toward the stairs. Anticipation coursed through him at the thought that he was finally going to have Chloe the way he’d wanted to for so long. He reached around to find the zipper of her dress as he walked up the stairs and that was when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered against her shoulder.

 

Chloe frowned slightly confused when he stopped moving. “What, what’s wrong?” She asked her brows furrowing as she tried to figure out why his lips were no longer on hers. When he didn’t answer right away Chloe gripped his cheeks hesitation on her face as a hint of anxiety creeped into her. “Ollie…” She said her tone questioning as she let her voice trail off attempting to calm the sound of her beating heart in her ears.

 

“My phone,” Oliver said. He reached into his pocket with every intention of tossing it aside, but when he saw Hal’s name flashing on the caller ID, he knew he had to answer it. “I’m sorry,” he told Chloe as he moved into the bedroom and gently set her down on the bed. He let out a shaky breath, trying to get his breathing under control as he pressed the answer button and brought the phone to his ear. “Hey man, can I call you back?” he asked.

 

Hal held the phone between his shoulder and ear as he pressed down harder on the pedal, his heart beating quickly in his chest as he drove quickly down the road. “No, you can’t. Tess is in the hospital,” He said without any preamble. The hospital had called him less than ten minutes ago and the second he heard he’d hoped in his car and started for Metropolis General. He knew this had been a bad idea. Hal should have never gone along with this stupid plan. “I don’t know what’s going on they just called and I’m on my way there now. I just thought you should know.” He told him, his jaw tight.

 

“Wait, what?” Hal’s words immediately pushed aside the fog of lust that had taken over Oliver’s brain. He glanced down at Chloe, reaching for her hand without even thinking about it as he tried to process what his friend was telling him. “Hal, what are you talking about? What happened to Tess?” he asked as fear coiled in his stomach. Tess had still been at the office when Oliver and Chloe had left for the day. He’d stopped in her office on the way out and she said she only had a few things to finish and she wouldn’t be long.

 

Hal grunted. “I just told you, I don’t know. The last time I talked to her she was working and then I get a phone call from the hospital a little while ago saying she’s there. I’m her emergency contact so they called, but they wouldn’t answer any of my questions over the phone. I should be there in less than five minutes and then I’ll know more,” He told his friend as he made another right turn.

 

“Okay, Chloe and I are on our way,” Oliver said. “Call my cell if you hear anything before we get there and Hal, I know it’s hard right now, but you have to stay calm. You’re not going to do

Tess any good if you walk into the hospital and start yelling at everyone.” He knew Hal was upset and he understood that, but Oliver had to at least attempt to keep him calm.

 

Hal took a deep breath and sighed as he pulled the car into one of the parking spots at the hospital. He shut the car and closed his eyes for a minute. “I’ll do my best. I just got here so let me go, but I’ll see you two soon,” He told his friend quietly as he pushed open the car door and locked it behind him.

 

Oliver disconnected the call and dropped his head to his chest for a moment. He didn’t know what had happened to Tess but he knew Lex was probably involved. They never should have gone through with the plan. It was too dangerous. He saw the questioning look in Chloe’s eyes when he met her gaze. “Something happened to Tess,” he said quietly. “Hal doesn’t have any details, but he just got to the hospital. We need to go.” He let go of her hand and started tucking his shirt back into his pants, trying to make himself look halfway presentable.

 

Chloe’s chest tightened at his words and she stood guilt filling her chest. “I hope she’s okay,” She said anxiously as she waited for him to be ready. If Tess was in the hospital she had no doubt that Lex was behind it. They’d been waiting for days for Lex to make his move and when he finally did they had been so busy with each other at dinner that they completely missed it. Maybe Oliver had been right…Maybe them being together was too much of a distraction.

 

“Me too,” Oliver said. He saw the flash of guilt on her face and he knew what she was thinking. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against his chest. “Don’t,” he told her simply. “I need you, Chloe.” The only person who was to blame for this was Lex and Oliver wasn’t going to let Chloe talk herself out of being with him because she felt guilty. Tess wasn’t in the hospital because they had gone out to dinner. She was in the hospital because Lex was a sick bastard who needed to be stopped.

 

She hugged him back briefly before pulling away and glancing towards the door. “We should go. Do you know the quickest way to the hospital from here?” She asked calmly while avoiding his gaze not wanting to get into things at the moment. Right now the most important thing was them getting to Tess. “If not I do,” She told him as she started too walked towards the bedroom doorway. She paused and glanced over her shoulder. “You coming?”

 

Oliver just looked at her for a moment, not sure how it was possible for her to turn her emotions off so fast. Maybe he’d been wrong about her after all. His chest tightened with disappointment and he ignored it, nodding as his expression hardened and he slipped his hands into his pockets and moved past her toward the stairs. “I know how to get to the hospital.” He didn’t bother glancing back at her as he walked down the stairs and pushed the button to open the elevator doors. Once he stepped inside, he grabbed his coat from the floor and pulled his keys out of the front pocket.

 

Chloe watched him walk past her and her heart clenched; tears prickling in the corner of her eyes at the pain she felt fill her chest as she followed slowly behind him. She watched him pick up his keys as she made her way into the elevator and stood on the opposite side of him. Chloe kept her eyes on the numbers in the elevator as the doors slid shut.

 

She wrapped her arms around her body and stood stiffly as her teeth bit into her cheek almost painfully to keep the tears at bay while reminding herself this wasn’t about her, it was about Tess. She needed to be the priority right now especially if she was hurt. She should have never went to Tess with this information…This was all her fault.

 

The elevator doors opened a few minutes later and Oliver draped his jacket over Chloe’s shoulders, careful not to touch her anymore than necessary so he didn’t upset her. “It’s cold,” he said, not meeting her eyes as he pressed the button to unlock the doors. He slid behind the wheel, jammed the key into the ignition and reached for his seatbelt as he waited for Chloe to get in the car. His mind was reeling as he worried about Tess. She had to be okay. There was no other option.

 

                                                                                                                                 

______

 

Tess fought the urge to squirm as the nurse checked her vitals for the third time since she’d been brought into the emergency room. She’d told them repeatedly aside from the pain in her shoulder, she was fine and she just wanted to go home. But she had lost consciousness for a few moments in the ambulance and now they were concerned she had a head injury and were talking about all the tests they wanted to run.

 

Tess just needed a phone. The nurse had explained that her emergency contact was on his way. Tess understood that, but Hal was probably panicking and she needed to tell him that she was fine. Or mostly fine, she thought as a searing pain went through her shoulder.  
    

The nurse finally took a step back and suggested she relax while she waited for the doctor. She adjusted the sling on Tess’s arm one last time and showed her where the call button was if she needed anything. Tess forced herself to choke out a polite thank you before leaning back against the pillows. The bed wasn’t very comfortable and her muscles were starting to ache now that her adrenaline had crashed. She closed her eyes for a moment and she chastised herself for being so stupid. If she had just called Hal and asked him to pick her up at work, none of this would have happened.

 

Tess hadn’t meant to work as late as she had but she’d gotten caught up in something and by the time she left the office, she was the only one who was still there. Her car was in the main lot and she hadn’t given much thought to crossing it by herself with her keys in one hand and her phone in the other. The guy had come out of nowhere and grabbed her from behind, but Tess had been quick.

 

She’d kicked him and fought him off, causing him to drop the syringe that he held in his hand. But he hadn’t gone down without a fight and he’d done something to her shoulder as he slammed her against her car while he grabbed the syringe. Her memory was blurry after that, but Tess had kicked it out of his hand again and then she’d heard sirens. He’d taken off and she’d slumped down to the ground, but she’d managed to grab the syringe and shove it in her purse.  
    

Where was her purse? Tess looked around the room and spotted it on a chair in the corner along with a bag containing the clothes she’d been wearing when they’d brought her in. She had to tell Oliver about the syringe so he could send it to Emil for testing. Tess wanted to know if Lex had sent the man to kill her or something far more sinister. She shuddered and looked around the room again for a phone. She needed to talk to Hal and let him know that she was okay.

 

Hal made his way down the hallways searching for the room that Tess was in. When he made his way into the hospital he’d spoken to the woman at the admitting desk and gave them Tess’s name. They hadn’t been able to find her and first and he might have yelled a bit until finally someone took pity on him and have him her room number.

 

They had offered him a map of the hospital, but he’d been in too much of a rush to take it. Hal had been terrified when the hospital called, he _still_ was terrified. He knew he wouldn’t be okay until he saw her. Hal rounded the corner and sighed in relief when he saw the number he was looking for on the top of the furthest door to his right.

 

He practically ran into the room and when he saw Tess sitting on the examination table he let out a sigh of relief. “Jesus Christ Red, you’re trying to give me a heart attack aren’t you?” He asked lightly while moving into the room and pulling her into a careful hug. He held on to her tightly, running his hands up and down her body before leaning back and cupping her cheeks. “Are you alright?” He asked softly as his eyes took her in checking her over and making sure she wasn’t hurt too bad.

 

“I’m okay,” Tess said. She reached up with her good arm and held his arm tightly. She could see the fear in his eyes and she felt terrible for scaring him. “I dislocated my shoulder and I hit my head, but the pain isn’t that bad. I’m sorry I scared you. I wanted to call you myself but my phone got broken and then I was unconscious, but only for a little bit and the nurses were too busy taking my temperature to listen to me. I’m fine,” she stressed. Tess already felt better now that Hal was there with her.

 

Hal’s jaw clenched at her words as he tried to calm down. He knew his temper would not help at the moment and he didn’t want to stress Tess out more after whatever happened. She glanced at her shoulder and frowned before meeting her eyes. He took a deep breath and spoke. “They’re idiots…What happened?” He asked quietly while caressing the skin under her eyes.

 

Tess hesitated. She could see how upset Hal was and she didn’t want to make it worse, but she had to tell him the truth. “I was leaving work and this guy grabbed me. I fought him and I think my phone got broken. He had a syringe.” She told him the whole story and how she had managed to hold him off until the police showed up.

 

“I put the syringe in my purse so Oliver can give it to Emil. The guy didn’t say anything. Well nothing useful,” she corrected. He had called her several names, but Hal didn’t need another reason to be angry. “But he had to be working for Lex. He never tried to take my purse but I told the police he did.” They had lectured her about how her life was more important and then she had passed out.

 

Hal did his best to stay calm. He would not freak out and yell about how this was a stupid plan and they never should have even considered it. He knew that would only make things worse. Even though he no longer disliked Chloe a small part of him couldn’t help blaming her for this. If she’d never come to them with this information, Tess would have never felt the need to come clean and she wouldn’t have been hurt tonight.

 

Hal knew his thought process wasn’t exactly far, but he couldn’t help it. He swallowed hard and gave her half a smile. “I’m glad you’re alright,” He said while leaning forward and pressing a light kiss to her lips. He pulled back and cupped her cheeks as he met her gaze. “Oliver and Chloe are on their way…Has the doctor said when I can take you home?” He asked softly.

 

“No,” Tess replied. She rolled her eyes and leaned back against the pillow again. “The nurse said the doctor might want to run tests. Maybe Oliver can talk to someone and get them to send me home. He donates money to the hospital.” She knew the doctors were just taking precautions but she wasn’t going to feel better until she was at home in her own bed.

 

She knew Hal wasn’t going to be better until than either. She could practically see him struggling with his temper. She knew he was angry but he was trying to keep it inside for her sake. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

 

Hal frowned. “Don’t apologize. This is _not_ your fault.” He said voice hard. “This is Lex’s fault. That god dam piece of shit was just waiting to make a move,” He whispered harshly. “You did nothing wrong. I’m sorry I’m so tense.” He said quietly. “I’m just worried about you, that’s all.”

 

He said lightly as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. He was just pulling back from her when the door was pushed open. He glanced towards it and smiled slightly as Oliver walked through the door followed by Chloe. He gave his friend half a smile. “Hey man.”

 

“Hey,” Oliver said. He returned Hal’s smile with a tense one of his own as he moved toward Tess and gave her a hug, mindful of the sling on her arm. “Are you okay? What happened?” he asked. Oliver let himself relax a little now that he could see that Tess seemed to be all right.   
    

“One of Lex’s guys was waiting for me when I left the office,” Tess replied. She ran through the story again, told him about the syringe that was sitting in her purse. “I told the police it was just a random mugging and I didn’t get a good look at the guy. I really didn’t though. It was dark and he was wearing a hoodie and really, I didn’t think about it.” Tess sighed, disappointed in herself for not paying more attention to the guy who had attacked her.  
    

“Don’t worry about it,” Oliver said. He squeezed her good shoulder. “I’m just glad you’re okay. I’ll call Bart later and have him come pick up the syringe and bring it to Emil. Is there anything else you need? What did the doctors say?” he asked.   
   

“My shoulder was dislocated and they might want to do a CT scan to make sure I don’t have a concussion. I don’t want to spend the night here. I need you to work your billionaire magic and make sure they don’t hold me hostage. Can you please do that for me?” Tess asked. She noticed Chloe was hovering in the doorway like she wasn’t sure what to do with herself. “Chloe, you can come in. You don’t have to stand in the hall,” she said.

 

She bit her bottom lip and moved into the room walking around Hal and Oliver making her way over to Tess. She gave her a small smile and leaned in pulling her carefully into a hug. “I’m so glad you okay.” She said before pulling back, her eyes landing on the sling as she swallowed hard. Her gaze drifted back to Tess’s face. “You know if you were feeling like you weren’t getting enough attention you could have just told us,” She joked trying to break the tension in the room as she squeezed Tess’s hand lightly trying to offer the other woman some comfort.

 

Tess laughed. “I think you’re confusing me with these two. They’re the attention hogs,” she joked. Her smile faded when everyone still looked at her like she was going to break into tiny pieces any second.

 

“Seriously guys, I’m fine. The shoulder will heal and I don’t think I have a concussion. Trust me when I tell you that I’ve taken a lot worse beatings than this one and walked away fine. I’ll be even better when I can go home,” she said. Tess needed everyone to stop treating her with kid gloves and looking at her like she was some kind of invalid.  
    

“I’ll see what I can do,” Oliver said. He’d landed in the hospital enough times to know that sometimes being stuck there was a lot worse than whatever had happened in the first place. “Give me a few minutes,” he said. He left the room to try and find a doctor.

 

Hal sat in the chair next to Tess and rubbed her back lightly. “Are you sure you don’t need anything? Are you hungry?” He asked. “I can get you something to eat if you want.” He said lightly. He needed something to do in order to feel useful. He wanted to help, but he wasn’t sure how. His hand drifted from her back to her hand as he lifted it up and pressed a kiss against it. He didn’t know what he’d do if he lost her.

 

Chloe stood off to the side watching them and her chest tightened slightly. She glanced around the room before looking towards Tess and Hal again not really sure what to say, so she stayed quiet as they talked.

 

Tess started to tell him that she was fine and she didn’t need anything, but she knew he needed her to need something so he wouldn’t feel so useless. “Actually, I wouldn’t mind some apple juice. They probably have some in the vending machines. Can you get me one?” she asked.

 

Hal smiled. “I can definitely do that,” He said softly while standing and placing a light kiss against her forehead. “I’ll be right back,” He said before moving out of the room and down the hallway.

 

Chloe watched him go before sitting in one of the chairs and sending Tess a small smile. “I’m sure Oliver will be able to convince the doctor to let you come home.” She said lightly as she rested her hands on her lap. The room was quiet and Chloe pursed her lips before glancing over at Tess. “I just wanted to apologize for what happened.” Chloe held up a hand before Tess could say anything.

 

“I know what you’re going to say, but I still want you to know I’m sorry. We’re going to find Lex and take him down once and for all,” She told her quietly.

 

“I know that,” Tess said. “Chloe, we expected something like this to happen. We were waiting for it,” she reminded her. “I should have been paying more attention and maybe I would have gotten a better look at the guy. But Lex made his first move and I didn’t die. That’s a good thing. He’s going to be angry over this and even more likely to make a mistake.” Tess lifted her good shoulder in a shrug.

 

“I’m going to be fine. Everyone needs to stop acting like I’m going to fall apart and you need to stop thinking this is your fault. I’m an adult, Chloe and I made this decision. I knew there were risks involved and I was willing to take them. I still am,” she said. Tess didn’t care how many would-be assailants she had to fight off as long as they brought Lex down in the end.

 

Chloe frowned. “I’m not acting like you’re going to fall apart. I don’t doubt you can take care of yourself. That isn’t why I was apologizing.” She told her quietly. “I know you make your own choices and trust me, I hate being treated like I’m some kind of fragile piece of glass. So I’d never intentionally treat you like that.” She said while shifting in her seat.

 

“I was just worried, but I can see you’re okay. And yeah we knew something like this was going to happen I just think we all wanted to be prepared for it you know?” She asked, “Which we weren’t, but we will be next time.” She said sternly while giving Tess half a smile.

 

Tess nodded. “I’m sorry if it seemed like I was snapping at you. I’m just irritated with myself. Hal’s upset and he’s trying to keep it in, but sooner or later it’s going to explode and we’re going to fight over this.” She hated fighting with Hal but she knew him and he was going to want her to stop putting herself in Lex’s sights.

 

But Tess was more determined than ever to bring Lex down now. As much as she hadn’t wanted to admit it before, a part of her had wished she’d never come forward. She hated that the world identified her as a Luthor and that she would forever be tied to Lionel. But there was no way she was backing down after this. Tess was never going to let Lex think that he could intimidate her or scare her into hiding.

 

She gave Chloe a tired smile. “I don’t want to talk about Lex anymore. He’s already dominated enough of my night. How was your date with Oliver?” Tess needed to hear something good to take her mind off of the fact that her entire body was starting to hurt. She planned to keep that to herself though because she was not spending the night in the hospital.

 

Chloe tensed slightly and ignored the last part of Tess's question for a minute putting off the answer as she gave Tess a light smile. "You didn't snap, it's fine. You've had a long night. Trust me I get it and I know we haven't known each other long but if you ever need to talk or just vent," she shrugged, "You can do that with me." She told her quietly before glancing at her hands briefly and then back up at the red head in front of her.  
  
"Dinner was nice," she said simply and sent Tess half a smile as she leaned back in her seat. She was down playing it just a bit, dinner had been amazing, it was what happened afterwards that blew everything to hell. Oliver hadn't even looked at her on the car ride over nor had he said one word after his initial 'it's cold' before they got into the car.  
  
Chloe's chest was tight, her heart clenching slightly as she thought back to the way he looked at her in the apartment. There was so much doubt filling her at the moment that she was questioning all the choices she'd made recently. She let out a small sigh and felt Tess's eyes on her so she made sure to keep the smile on her face. All she wanted to do was go to bed so this night could be over.

 

Tess frowned. She might not know Chloe very well but it was obvious something was wrong. Normally when she talked about Oliver, she did it with a silly little smile on her face and stars in her eyes. At the moment, she looked like she was struggling not to cry. “Did I miss something?” she asked. “What’s going on?”

 

Before Chloe had a chance to respond, Oliver walked back into the room. “Good news, Tess,” he said. “The doctors agreed to spring you against their better judgment since they’re worried about a possible head injury. I just told them that your head is harder than a brick wall and there’s no need for them to be concerned,” he teased. “Where did Hal go?”

 

“He was upset so I asked him to get me some juice,” Tess replied. Now she knew something was wrong. Oliver hadn’t so much as glanced in Chloe’s direction since he’d come back into the room and she could see that Chloe was upset even though she was doing her best to hide it. Tess looked at Oliver, trying to read his expression but he had a really good poker face. She was about to ask both of them what was going on when a doctor came in and said he needed to examine her before he could sign the discharge papers.

 

“We’ll be outside,” Oliver said. He squeezed Tess’s arm and politely waited for Chloe to leave the room before following her into the hallway and pulling the door closed behind him. He leaned against the wall, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he stared at the gray wall across from him. He was glad Tess was okay and he knew Hal was going to be happy that he could bring her home.

 

Oliver knew they were going to have to step things up and maybe he’d ask Bart or AC to come to town for awhile so they had another person to patrol. He was going to have to talk to Clark at some point. He continued running through the possibilities in his mind, doing everything he could not to think about the woman next to him.

 

Chloe stood next to Oliver outside the hospital room doing her best not to fidget beside him. She could practically feel the anger coming off him in waves and she had no idea how to fix it. She pursed her lips, her hands tugging lightly at the bottom of her dress as she held in a sigh.  
  
She felt extremely uncomfortable and didn't even bother to attempt to distract herself. She knew it wouldn't work. He obviously didn't want her there and was only being polite. Chloe bit her bottom lip before her quiet voice broke the silence around them. "Maybe I should just go." She said, her voice coming out a lot steadier than it had in her head.  
  
Before Oliver could say anything Hal walked up with a thing of apple juice and held it up in triumph. "Three machines later and I finally found it," he said before frowning. "Why are you guys out here?" He asked while glancing between them. His frown deepened when he took in the tension in his friend’s body. Something was up. Hal arched an eyebrow at him. "What'd I miss?"

 

“The doctor is in with Tess making sure everything is okay so he can sign her discharge papers,” Oliver explained. He tried to relax for his friend’s benefit and ignore the fact that Chloe was apparently desperate to get away from him.

 

He felt like the world’s biggest fool. Oliver had believed her when she’d told him that she was all in and that she wanted to be with him. But clearly she’d only meant when it was convenient for  _her_. His chest tightened when he thought about how he’d told her that he needed her and she’d completely ignored him. Oliver realized Hal was still looking at him strangely and he forced his thoughts aside.

 

“It’s just a formality since the hospital already agreed to release her. Listen, we’re going to go. I’ll call Bart and tell him to come and get the syringe and I’ll let Emil know that we need a rush on identifying whatever was in it. If you or Tess need anything else, just call me,” Oliver said. He patted Hal on the back and finally glanced at Chloe. “Are you ready?”

 

Chloe nodded not trusting her voice at the look on his face. She glanced at Hal and gave him half a smile as she blinked away the tears. "I'm really glad Tess is okay. Tell her to give me a call on my cell tomorrow," she said lightly.  
  
Hal's brows furrowed, but he kept his mouth shut and nodded. "I will, you guys have a good night. Sorry for interrupting your date," he said with a slightly sheepish look.   
  
Chloe gave him a tight smile, "Don't worry about it. This was important," she told him before giving him a small wave and turning in the other direction.   
  
Hal nodded at them as he watched them go making a note to ask Tess if she knew what the hell was going on with those two.

 

The drive back to the clock tower was filled with the same deafening silence as the ride to the hospital had been. Oliver held the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles turned white as he steered the car into the parking garage. Chloe hadn’t said a word and she’d just stared out the passenger side window the entire time. Oliver had seen the tears in her eyes and his first instinct had been to reach out to her and make it better, but he couldn’t do it. She was the one who had pushed him away and now they both had to live with it.

 

As they walked to the elevator, Oliver pulled out his phone and started making calls. He called Emil first and let him know what was going on and then he called Bart and asked him to give Hal about an hour to get Tess home and settled and then run to Metropolis to pick up the syringe. The doors opened into the penthouse and Oliver picked up the bag of food that they’d forgotten and tossed it in the garbage as he pressed another button on his cell phone so he could call Victor and fill him in as well.

 

Chloe walked out of the elevator and watched his back. She started to walk toward the computers to do some research needing something to occupy her idle hands, but she paused halfway there and turned to face Oliver, ignoring the fact that he had the phone to his ear even though he wasn't actually speaking. "So is that it?" She asked a slight waver in her voice. "You're just never going to talk to me again?" She asked while attempting to read his facial expression.  
  
When she had brushed him off earlier she hadn't expected him to get so angry. She had assumed they'd discuss things when they got back from making sure Tess was okay, but ever since she moved away from him he'd been angry and kept his distance and she wasn't sure what to do with that. Chloe was confused and full of guilt and she had obviously upset him, but the worst part was she didn't know how to fix it.

 

Oliver just looked at her for a moment, not sure what to say. He held up his hand when Victor’s voicemail picked up and left a quick message letting him know that Lex had made a move against Tess but she was all right and they were going to regroup and he’d call him when he had more information. He ended the call, tossing the phone on the table as he met Chloe’s eyes. “We can talk if you have something to say but I thought this was what you wanted,” he told her coolly. “You’re the one who pushed me away, not the other way around.”

 

Chloe frowned and swallowed hard. "I didn't push you away...Oliver, Tess got hurt I didn't really think we should stand around discussing my doubts instead of making our way to the hospital." She told him sharply. "Forgive me for thinking there were more important things at that particular moment." She said as her heartbeat sped up and anxiety filled her chest.

 

“See that’s the problem, Chloe,” Oliver said. He took a step closer to her as he felt himself getting angry all over again. “You had doubts. You, the woman who stood right there and told me that I had to make a choice because you told me that you couldn’t do this halfway, you changed your mind at the first sign of trouble. What the hell am I supposed to do with that?” he demanded angrily. He couldn’t believe she had the nerve to stand there and act like she had any right to be upset with him. He’d trusted her more than he’d trusted anyone else and she was ready to run away because something bad had happened. He didn’t know what to do with that.

 

“Tess and Hal are my best friends, my family and it scared the hell out of me when he told me something had happened to her. I needed you, Chloe. I told you that I needed you and you pulled away from me. Do you have any idea how much that hurt me? Do you even care?” Oliver asked. He felt the anger draining out of him as it was replaced by the hurt he’d been trying to so hard to hide.

 

Chloe opened and closed her mouth, but had no idea what to say. It was quite for a few minutes before she met his gaze with tear filled eyes. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "That wasn't my intention." She paused, but didn't try to move any closer to him scared that he'd pull away from here.  
  
"I'm scared." She told him while glancing down at her hands. "I'm afraid that you might have been right. I'm afraid that we can't be objective and put the team first while we're with each other. And I'm even more terrified that because of that someone is going to get hurt and it's going to be our fault," she told him, not able to look at him.  
  
"What I feel for you...Oliver I get lost in it. When I'm with you it's like everything else disappears...I didn't expect that and it's dangerous." She motioned to the door. "I don't care what you or Tess or anyone else says. What happened here tonight might be Lex's doing, but it's my fault he did it." She said as she finally looked back up at him, tears spilling down her cheeks.  
  
"If I never told Tess, she wouldn't have come out and Lex wouldn't be targeting her. Don't you get that? And we were supposed to be on top of this, but we were too caught up in each other to even check in tonight. Do you know how guilty that makes me feel?" She asked him desperately.  
  
"I don't want to hurt you, I don't want to hurt myself, but I'm scared and I would have explained that earlier if you hadn't reacted the way you did. Do you think I don't need you too Ollie? Because I'm pretty sure there isn't anyone I need more and that scares me." She said quietly. "Ollie what if this doesn't work? What if we're so involved in each other that more people get hurt? I don't want to lose you, but I don't want to jeopardize anyone's safety either."

 

“You can’t have it both ways, Chloe,” Oliver said. He hated watching her cry and he wanted to comfort her, but he knew if he put his arms around her, he was never going to be able to say what he needed to. “You were right when you said we couldn’t keep going back and forth and we had to make a choice. We made a choice,” he reminded her. “Do you think we can just go back on that now? Do you think being apart will be less of a distraction than being together? I don’t know about you, Chloe, but I can’t just shut my feelings off and pretend this never happened.”

 

He moved toward her, reaching out to brush the tears away from her cheeks before he cupped her face in his hands and tilted her head up to meet his eyes. “You’re not the only one who feels guilty. I went along with this plan. I encouraged it when Tess, Hal and I were still in Star City before I came here and offered you a job. You have to know that Hal is kicking himself right now for letting Tess out of his sight and she’s doing the same thing for not leaving with us or calling Hal to pick her up instead of leaving on her own. We all have to live with the choices we made, Chloe.”

 

Oliver hesitated as he looked into her eyes. He wasn’t sure he had it in him to put himself on the line again, but he knew he didn’t really have a choice. He didn’t want to walk away from her and he sure as hell didn’t want her to walk away from him. But he needed to know that this was what she wanted. “You have to decide where we go from here. Tell me what you want,” he said.

 

Chloe met his eyes and she gripped his sides tightly. She knew what she wanted, but was it what was best for everyone? She was so used to making choices for the whole and sacrificing what she wanted, but as she looked at Oliver's face as he put himself out there she couldn't do it. Chloe needed to be a little selfish here. She couldn't lose him. He meant too much to her.  
  
She wasn't sure she'd ever been happy the way she was now with him in her life and turning her back on what she was feeling, she knew she wouldn't be able to come back from that.  
  
Chloe took a deep breath. "I want you Ollie, there's never been any question of that." She hesitated before continuing. "I think that maybe to keep ourselves focused and so we don't have this problem again though we should agree that as much as we care about each other," she said while letting one hand slide up to his neck, "And believe me I care about you more than you obviously think I do, we need to agree that the team and the mission always comes first." She said softly while attempting to read his reaction to her words, not wanting to upset him again.

 

He couldn’t help being disappointed by her answer. Oliver felt like she was still trying to have it both ways. She wanted to be with him but she was always going to use the team and the mission as an excuse to keep a part of her back from him. It was like she was making a partial commitment to him and that wasn’t what he had asked her for. It wasn’t what he wanted. But he wasn’t sure he could live with the alternative of not having any part of her.

 

“I’ve never compromised the team or a mission for selfish reasons, Chloe,” Oliver said. “I’ve been Green Arrow for a long time and I’ve made a lot of sacrifices and I’m fine with that because he’s the real me. Most people don’t know that and they never will. But you know who I am. You probably know me better than anyone at this point. I shouldn’t have to reassure you that I know what I’m doing but if that’s what you want, I will. The team comes first,” he said flatly.

 

Chloe sighed at his tone and shook her head. "I'm not doubting you Oliver," she. "I'm doubting myself. I need to have some kind of parameter here." She told him softly before looking away from him. She wasn't sure how to explain what was going on in her head.  
  
She swallowed heavily and glanced back up at him. "I've never met anyone like you Oliver." She said quietly. "You make me happy without even trying. There have been days that I've gotten lost in thoughts about you for hours. And when you're touching me...it's like nothing else in the world exists and I'm okay with that." She said while moistening her lips.  
  
"I've barely know you for four months and I don't think there's anything I wouldn't do for you Oliver and that sort of scares me." She told him. "I have always put everyone before myself, because no one before you was ever worth the risk of not doing that. And I'm just afraid that I'll mess up or won't make the right choices, because I'm so used to being level headed and in control. But I've never felt this way before." She told him softly.

 

Oliver’s expression softened as what was left of his anger deflated. “I’ve never felt this way either, Chloe and I get that it’s a scary thing but I need you to trust me. I know that I had my doubts in the beginning, but I don’t anymore.” He caressed her face gently as he looked into her eyes, willing her to listen to him and believe what he was saying. “We work better as a team. Don’t hide behind your fears or your ‘what ifs’ or anything else. I can care about you and still do what needs to be done to keep the world safe from people like Lex.”

 

He gave her a moment to let everything he was saying sink in and then he leaned down and gently brushed his lips against hers. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you either, Chloe. But that’s not something we should afraid of. It’s something we should hold onto. It’s why we’re ultimately going to beat Lex in the end because he’s incapable of caring about anyone other than himself. We’ve got people who matter to us that we need to protect and that makes us stronger. I just need you to trust me and to trust us,” he said quietly.

 

Chloe's body finally relaxed as she leaned into him wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips lightly against his chin before resting her forehead against neck. That was exactly what she needed to hear. "Okay," she said softly as she tightened her hold on him. "You couldn't have said that earlier?" She asked before chuckling lightly. "I'm sorry I'm so bad at this relationship stuff...I'll get better. I promise," she mumbled into his neck.

 

“We’re both new at navigating this,” Oliver said. He hugged her tightly against him, letting go of his tension and focusing on how good it felt to have her in his arms again. “We should probably get some sleep. We’re going to need to talk to Clark tomorrow and maybe the rest of the team too. Hopefully Emil will put a rush on that sample and let us know what we’re dealing with.” He pulled back and wrapped his arm around Chloe’s shoulder, holding her against his side as he steered her toward the stairs.

 


	15. Chapter 15

The sunlight peeking through the blinds woke Oliver from a deep sleep the next morning. He groaned, turning to bury his face in the pillow and try to stop his mind from staying awake. But after a few minutes of lying there, Oliver knew it was a lost cause. He rolled over onto his back, throwing his hand over his face and he opened one eye to see what time it was. The clock on the nightstand told him it was just after eight. That was later than he normally slept, but after everything that had happened the night before, he felt like he should sleep for another week. He shifted again on the pillow, turning away from the light to glance at Chloe as she slept beside him.

She was still sleeping, one hand on the pillow near her face and the other clutching his. Oliver watched her for a few minutes, his thoughts drifting back to when she’d pulled away from him and he’d thought he’d lost her. He understood now that she was scared and he was going to do what he could to prove to her that he wasn’t going to leave her and the rest of the world wasn’t going to fall apart if they allowed themselves to just be together and shut everything else out once and awhile.   
      
He knew he should get up. Someone had to go into the office and take care of things since he knew Tess wouldn’t be making it in today. Oliver wanted to call Hal and see how she was doing and then he needed to call Victor back and it was probably a good idea to call Clark and update him on the situation. But he made no move to get out of bed. Instead, he rubbed his thumb over Chloe’s as he watched her sleeping. Oliver wasn’t quite ready to face the day yet.

The movement against her hand made Chloe scrunch her nose as she shifted against the pillow, her brows furrowed, eyes still closed as she was pulled from sleep. She reached out for Oliver, moving her body until she was pressed against his side, pout on her lips. “Why are you so far away from me?” She grumbled while nuzzling her nose near his neck. She hadn’t heard the alarm go off so she assumed he’d woken for another reason. “What time is it?” She whispered still not opening her eyes.

“It’s a little after eight,” Oliver replied. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and stroked her back as she snuggled against him. “Sorry I woke you up,” he said. His fingers played with the ends of her hair as he shifted back against the pillow. “I was thinking about all the things I should be doing, but somehow none of them seemed as fun as being in bed with you,” he teased as he kissed her head again. “Did you sleep okay?” It had been just after midnight by the time they’d settled everything and gone to bed and Oliver was pretty sure he’d fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow which hardly ever happened to him.

Chloe nodded, not able to keep herself from moving even closer as she pressed a light kiss against his neck while slipping her hand up his chest and resting it there, her thumb caressing his skin lightly. “Yea…How about you?” She asked softly her eyes finally fluttering open as she tilted her head back so she could see his face. Chloe smiled slightly. “Morning.” She said before pressing her lips lazily against his chin.

Oliver smiled at her. “Morning,” he replied. “I slept pretty well.” He let his hand slide down her side to rest on her hip, squeezing it gently through the fabric of the t-shirt she wore. He brushed her hair back from her face with his other hand, letting the tresses tangle around his fingers. His skin was warm beneath her touch as she lightly caressed his chest and he found his mind drifting back to the night before in the car and the elevator and how good it had felt to touch her skin and kiss her. His throat was suddenly dry and without thinking about what he was doing, Oliver leaned into her and kissed her, his lips moving almost frantically over hers as his hand tightened on her hip.

Chloe was startled by the kiss, but opened her mouth beneath his almost immediately letting him deepen it as her heartbeat started to pound in her chest. She could feel the heat from his hand through the shirt she wore and Chloe couldn’t help the way her body warmed at his touch. The emotions that had been swirling around her last night after dinner suddenly coming back full force as she slid her hand down his chest, pausing at the waist of his pants, fingers gently gliding over the skin there.

When air became an issue she pulled her mouth from his and sucked in a large breath. “Ollie,” She moaned softly as her other hand cupped his cheek.

He let out a hiss of air when he felt her fingers near his waist and Oliver felt the familiar anticipation flowing through him. He watched her for a minute, his eyes darkening with lust as he took in how beautiful she was. He’d wanted to wait and make sure they weren’t rushing anything, but now all he could think about was how much time it felt like they’d wasted. “Chloe,” he whispered her name as he held her gaze and then he shifted quickly, reversing their positions so she was on her back and he rose to his knees, pushing the blankets out of the way. 

Oliver gripped the bottom of the t-shirt she wore in his hands and slowly pushed it up. As the fabric revealed more of her creamy skin, he placed a kiss to her thigh and then another one on her stomach before he paused and met her eyes. “Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked.

Chloe met his eyes and nodded without hesitation. “Yes,” She said voice breathy not entirely sure how she heard his question over the pounding in her ears. Anticipation filled her and when his lips pressed against her skin again her entire body flushed with arousal. She felt like they’d been waiting forever for this and she was tired of it. All she wanted him to do was touch her. Chloe let her hands travel over his shoulders to his back, rubbing circles into his skin. “Ollie…Touch me,” She whispered while gripping his back gently letting her nails graze down his flesh.

He nodded and in another quick move, he pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it aside. Oliver let his eyes roam over her as she lay nearly naked beneath him except for the silk panties she still wore. His eyes focused on her breasts as he watched her chest rise and fall rapidly as her breathing picked up. He leaned over her and pressed light kisses across her neck and down her collarbone, slowly making his way to her breasts. He kissed the upper swells of her chest, purposely avoiding her already hardened nipples as he moved down her body.

He ran his tongue along the underside of her breast as he cupped the other one in his hand, finally taking her nipple between his fingers. His eyes were nearly black when they met hers again as he lowered his head, swirling his tongue over her nipple before taking it between his lips and sucking it into his mouth.

The feel of his mouth on her breast made need curl in her stomach as she arched her body up, pressing herself closer to his mouth. Chloe moaned low in her throat as her head tilted back into the pillows and her fingers threaded through his hair. Sparks of electricity shot through her body as he teased her nipple with his tongue, his name a plea on her lips. Chloe was barely able to contain the urge to beg him to move faster.

She ran the hand that wasn’t in his hair down his side and attempted to pull him closer to her body as her pulse sped up while another moan fell from her mouth.

“Someone’s impatient,” Oliver teased as he switched his mouth to her other breast. Despite her urgency, he continued to take his time, wanting to savor the taste of her skin beneath his mouth. He teased her nipple with his tongue while he let his other hand slide down her body, over her stomach, stopping just above the waistband of her panties.

He used his knee to spread her legs wider for him as he moved his body between them, lowering himself so that she could feel his erection pressed against her center through the thin fabric of her panties. He rubbed himself over her, creating a friction that had him moaning against her breast as he felt the desperate need to be inside of her.

Chloe hooked one leg around him trying to bring him closer, moisture pooling in her panties as he rubbed himself against her. She whimpered lightly her nails digging into the flesh of his back. “Ollie please don’t tease,” She said desperately, “We’ve been waiting so long,” She managed to get out as she tugged his head away from her breast and guided his lips to hers. She coaxed his mouth open sliding her tongue into his mouth forcefully as she deepened the kiss.

Chloe was pretty sure if she didn’t have him inside of her soon she was going to go crazy. He was making her body feel things it never had before as she continued to move her hips against his in hopes that it would spur him into action.

Oliver moaned into her mouth, the force of the kiss sending his already racing pulse skyrocketing. He broke away when air became an issue and met her eyes as he panted for breath. Her green eyes were dark with desire, her lips swollen from his and the last bit of his control snapped as his need for her overwhelmed him.

Oliver hooked his fingers into the waistband of her panties and pulled them down her legs until Chloe was able to kick them off. He ran his hand along her smooth thigh and eased two fingers inside of her. “God, Chloe, you’re so wet,” he gasped as he thrust his fingers in and out of her body, stretching her as his cock twitched in his pants, aching to fill her.

Chloe nodded, a moan leaving her throat as she lifted her head off the pillow slightly while gripping the back of his neck, pulling his head down. Her lips trailed over his jaw pressing light kisses to his heated skin before taking her tongue and trailing it over the shell of his ear. “All for you…this is what you do to me,” She whispered hot breath against his skin as she felt a pressure building low in her belly. “Oh _god_ Ollie more please,” She whimpered while rocking her hips against his fingers trying to increase the pressure there as her breathing sped up, heart slamming against her chest the more worked up she got.

Her words only fueled his desire for her. Oliver sped up his thrusts, moving his fingers faster as he plunged in and out of her wet heat. He rubbed his thumb over her clit, putting the tiniest amount of pressure on it as her hips bucked frantically against his fingers. He lowered his head to her breast again and gently raked his teeth over her sensitive skin, soothing the area with his tongue.

Oliver could feel her inner walls clamping around his fingers and he knew she was close. “Come on, Chloe. I want to watch you come apart.” He sucked her nipple into his mouth again as he pressed his thumb harder against her clit, his fingers still moving within her as he kept his eyes on her face.

Chloe’s nails bit into his back as she rode his fingers, face flushed with pleasure as she felt her inner walls fluttering. She sucked in a sharp breath and cried out his name, her body arching up, head thrown back as she came, her inner muscles gripping his fingers, pulsating around them as a light sheen of sweat formed on her body. His finger’s continued to move in and out of her body as she rode out her orgasm, small noises falling from her throat as her inner walls continued spasming around his fingers.

God, she was beautiful, Oliver thought as he watched her, mesmerized by the pleasure that crossed her face. As she fell back against the pillow breathing hard, Oliver pulled his fingers from her body and slowly brought them to his mouth, watching her as he licked her moisture off his hand. “You taste as amazing as you look,” he told her huskily as gripped her thighs in his hands, spreading her legs wider.

He moved back, quickly discarding his sweatpants and boxers as his body throbbed with anticipation of finally being inside of her. Oliver leaned over her, taking his stiff cock in his hand and moving it slowly along her slit, soaking himself in her juices. Her body was tight and he wanted to make sure she was ready so he didn’t hurt her.

Chloe licked her lips, a fresh wave of moisture pooling between her thighs at his actions as she trailed her hands up and down his back still trying to catch her breath. Oliver was absolutely amazing. She was pretty sure she’d never come so hard and he wasn’t even inside of her yet. Chloe bucked her hips as she bit her lower lip to keep from letting out a frustrated growl.

“Ollie I need you,” She said her hand cupping his cheek, her eyes fluttering shut as the head of his cock rubbed against her clit. His name fell from her lips several times as she lifted her hips again as a familiar pressure built inside her body, anticipation coursing through her.

“I need you too, Chloe,” Oliver said. He pressed his lips to her shoulder as he slid himself into her body at an achingly slow pace. He heard her breath hitch and he forced himself to hold still, trying to give her time to adjust. He kissed her neck, muttering her name against her skin as he slid his hand between them and rubbed her clit.

He felt the tension in her body starting to relax and he sank into her, groaning at the sensation of finally being inside of her. “You’re so tight, Chloe…you feel so good.” He groaned again as his lips closed over her pulse point and he began to move inside of her. Oliver wanted to go slow, but he knew his body had other ideas after waiting so long for this moment.

Chloe sucked in a sharp breath as she lifted her legs wrapping them around his waist making him sink deeper into her body. She groaned, her hips starting to move with his as he stretched her. She threaded her fingers into his hair and sped up her movements as soft mewling sounds left her throat.

She could feel her body tingling and every time he pushed inside of her, the wind was knocked from her lungs. “Yes so good…oh god Ollie harder,” She moaned as she tightened her legs around him

Oliver sped up his movements, slamming his hips against hers. He could feel her inner walls starting to pulsate around him and he knew she was close again. He was close too but he wanted to make sure that she came first. He gripped her hips in his hand and tilted her back, allowing him to change the angle of his thrusts as he rocked against her. Chloe’s name tumbled from his lips as he leaned over her, pressing open-mouthed kisses to her stomach and moving up her body as he started rubbing her clit again. His mouth found hers and he kissed her long and hard, his tongue thrusting into her mouth as his hips slammed against hers again and again. “Chloe,” Oliver whispered her name against her lips as he pushed into her harder and faster.

Chloe could feel her body coming apart beneath his as she captured his lips again and released them a minute later turning her head to the side and crying out his name loud as her orgasm crashed over her;  inner muscles clenching around him, pulsating and squeezing him inside her body. The rush of satisfaction that went through her body was almost too much as she continued to buck wildly against his body, wave after wave of intense pleasure coursing through her as she tried to catch her breath.

Her inner muscles squeezing his cock as the orgasm flowed through her body sent Oliver over the edge. One more thrust was all it took to trigger his own orgasm, pleasure coursing through his veins as her name tumbled from his lips again. His spine tingled and his body shuddered, his hands tightening around her as light burst in front of his eyes and for a second he thought he was going to black out.

Breathing hard, he dropped his head to the crook of her neck and panted against her damp skin. His heart was pounding in his chest and he tried to focus his mind, but all he could do was lay there and hold her as he tried to control his breathing.

For a few minutes, the room was silent except for the sounds of their harsh breaths and the occasional unintelligent murmur. Once Oliver felt like his heart wasn’t going to burst out of his chest, he slid out of her body with a groan and fell back against his pillow. He reached for her quickly, pulling Chloe flush against him, his hand rubbing her back as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

She let out a content sigh draping her body over his one arm going around his waist, lips pressing a light kiss to his chin as she rested against him. Chloe trailed her fingers over his chest before dropping her lips and placing a kiss there as well. She had never experienced a connection as intense as the one she had with Oliver.

Chloe shifted even closer if that was possible her eyes drifting shut slowly as warmth filled her chest. “Ollie,” She said softly, waiting for his response as she listened to his heart beating beneath her ear.

“Hmm?” Oliver asked as he tightened his arms around her, his fingers tangling in her hair once again. His eyes were closed as well and he knew he would be perfectly happy to just lie there with Chloe in his arms forever. He’d known she was special; that she made him feel things that he’d never felt for anyone before. But he’d had no idea just how strong his feelings were for her until that moment. It wasn’t the sex either; as mind-blowing as it had been. It was her. Having Chloe in his arms made him feel complete in a way that he’d never known existed.

She hesitated for a second not sure how to put into words what she wanted to tell him so instead she pressed another kiss to his chest and took a long breath. “You have no idea how happy you make me,” She whispered against his skin. “I just thought you should know,” She told him before yawning lightly, her body getting slightly heavy as she relaxed against him.

“Thanks for telling me,” Oliver replied. “You make me really happy too, Chloe.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and snuggled back against the pillows, keeping her wrapped tightly in his arms. Despite the light pouring into the rooms, Oliver didn’t think he’d have any problem falling asleep for a few more hours.

 

______

 

 

Hal stood in the living room, glass of scotch in hand as the other was pressed above his head on the side of the window. It was just after nine , but he had been awake for at least four hours so far. Hal had slept fitfully once he finally got Tess home from the hospital, which didn't happen until close to two in the morning. He'd given her the pain meds from the doctor and Tess had conked out not long after taking them.  
  
Hal, however, did not. He still couldn't believe that even after all their patrolling and precautions, they were still blindsided by Lex and his henchmen. Lex was going to be sorry when he got his hands on him. Hal sighed as he lifted the glass to his lips and took another sip letting the alcohol slide down his throat leaving a faint burn in its wake.  
  
His eyes took in the city below him and he pursed his lips as anger swelled in his chest. This whole idea had been a mistake and he'd told Oliver that from the beginning. He'd told Tess too, but neither of them wanted to listen to him and now Tess was a target for the man they'd been trying to take down for years. They should have listened to him and the worst part was even after what happened last night Tess was just more determined than ever to beat Lex.  
  
All Hal wanted to do was take her back home to Coast City. He missed the ocean, and flying something fierce, but even more than that he missed their semi-normal life, where his girlfriend wasn't being hounded twenty-four seven by press and people who wanted to attack her. Up until now he had stayed quiet and been supportive because he loved her and didn't want to upset her knowing she was already dealing with enough.  
  
But he couldn't do it anymore. He wanted her to stop putting herself in danger and he wanted them to go home, now. Hal finished off the glass of scotch and as he was shifting away from the window to put it down on the mini bar he heard the sound of bare feet in the hallway. He tensed slightly, but quickly released it as he turned around. He watch Tess make her way into the room and he gave her a tight smile. "Morning, how you feeling?" He asked lightly.

Tess took in his tense posture and the empty glass of scotch and knew that despite his light tone, Hal was angry. She’d expected as much; she’d seen it on his face when they were at the hospital even though he’d kept it inside. She was tired and sore and she felt like she could sleep for another twelve hours easily, but when she’d woken up and seen that his side of the bed was empty, Tess had wanted to find him and make sure that he was all right. But he wasn’t all right and Tess knew it was her fault. He’d been against this plan from the start. She braced herself for the fight that she really didn’t want to have.

“I’m okay. My arm hurts a little, but not enough to put that silly sling on,” Tess said. She had taken that thing off the second they had walked into the apartment. “What about you? Isn’t it a little early for scotch?” she asked.

Hal glanced at the empty glass and then back at Tess and shrugged as he made his way over to the couch and sat down stiffly. "Me? I'm just dandy," he said a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He met her eyes and pursed his lips. "I've been up for hours, so no, I don't think it's too early for scotch." He said tightly.  
  
He knew that she could see he was upset and Hal watched as she braced herself for a fight, but he wasn't going to make it easy for her. He loved Tess more than anything, but sometimes she was just too damn stubborn for her own good. He was tired of being out voted because they thought they knew what was best.  
  
So far their plan had done nothing but piss him off and make Tess's life miserable.

“What do you want me to say, Hal?” Tess asked. She crossed her arms over her chest defensively, wincing when pain shot through her entire arm. She closed her eyes for a moment and sucked in a deep breath, willing her body to relax. She had pain pills in their room, but she knew they needed to have this out before she went back to sleep. “We knew this was going to happen and we all dropped the ball especially me. I’m sorry,” she said.

Hal didn’t say anything, but Tess saw him clenching his jaw and she knew her words were only serving to make him angrier. Tess sighed. “I know you’re worried about me but I’m fine. You’ve had worse injuries than this,” she pointed out. She knew it was a weak defense, but Tess didn’t care. Hal risked his life every time he went on patrol. Yes, he had his ring but it didn’t make him invincible.

He shook his head, irritation surging through him as he pointed at her. "How dare you throw that in my face. It's completely different and you know it." He said his voice hard. "I go out every night to protect people, not knowing I'm going to get hurt, but prepared for it if it happens." He said while shifting forward on the couch.  
  
"You went into this knowing he'd lash out at you and try to hurt you. For Christ's sake he tried to blow Chloe and her cousin up!" He shouted at her. "I told you not to do this. I told you I wasn't comfortable with it that I thought you and Oliver were making a mistake." He told her angrily.  
  
"Even Chloe didn't think you should do it, but no Tess and Oliver know everything. The end justifies the means when it comes to stopping people like Lex right?" He asked as he arched an eyebrow at her and shrugged, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It doesn't matter if you get hurt or killed as long as we send Lex to jail." He shook his head and looked away from her in an attempt to control his temper.

“It is the same thing!” Tess snapped. She didn’t want to fight, but she wasn’t just going to stand there and let him yell at her. “You know there’s a risk that you might die but you do it anyway because you want to help people. What do you think I’m doing? Lex does terrible things to people, Hal. This isn’t about settling a score or getting rid of some business rival. We’re trying to stop a madman and we all knew this plan was risky but we didn’t have any other options!” Pain shot through her arm again, but Tess ignored it.

“If you want to be mad at me, fine, Hal, but you shouldn’t be mad at Oliver. He made the right call because he was thinking about what’s best for the entire team and the mission that we all signed up for. You’re only angry because I’m the one who got hurt. If it had been Chloe or Lois or even Oliver, you wouldn’t be this mad. You can’t think like that,” Tess said. She moved toward him, taking a seat on the coffee table in front of him so he had no choice but to look at her. “If I have to put aside my feelings every time you put your life on the line than you need to do the same.”

Hal glared at her and shook his head. "You know what, I think I've been pretty damn tolerant and supportive up until this point." He said voice hard. "Oliver wasn't doing what was best for the team and you know it." He leaned back in his seat. "And thanks for thinking I wouldn't car if it was anyone else who got hurt, because I'm heartless like that right?" He asked her before shoving himself off the couch and walking to the wet bar.  
  
"I'll have you know if it was Chloe or her cousin my reaction would be the same just on a less intense scale. I don't want you guys using this plan anymore Tess, and I think I've said that long before you got hurt, but no one cared what I thought," he said sharply while pouring himself another drink.

“Do not put words in my mouth!” Tess shouted. She followed him to the bar, irritated that he’d walked away from her. “I didn’t say you were heartless. I know you’d be upset but you’d be able to be objective,” she stressed. “That’s what you’re not doing, Hal. You’re not being objective.” She glared at him as he continued to focus on pouring his drink instead of looking at her.

“You never answered my original question, Hal. What do you want me to do? What?” she repeated loudly, her voice echoing through the quiet apartment. “The plan is already in play. It’s not like I can take it back and say ‘oops, my bad, I’m not a Luthor’ and just act like nothing ever happened. So tell me, what do you suggest we do from here?” Tess demanded. She was so angry that she was starting to shake and she leaned against the bar to support herself. She knew Hal was stubborn, but he wasn’t listening to her. It hurt that he was acting like she was doing this out of revenge or like some prodigal daughter anxious to get back at the family that had wronged her. All she wanted was to stop Lex from hurting anyone else. Why couldn’t he see that?

Her shouting was giving him a headache and when he finally glanced at her guilt filled his chest at the mixture of pain and exasperation on her face. He sighed and pursed his lips. She really wasn't understanding why he was upset at all and as angry as it made him he just didn't want to fight with her. It obviously wasn't doing any good. The fact that she even asked him what he wanted her to do was proof enough that on this matter they were so far off the same page that they weren't even in the same book.  
  
"Yeah, okay fine. I'm the one in the wrong here, whatever you say, but take note I voiced my opinion in the beginning when you and Oliver ignored what I said I came here with you and I've been nothing but supportive of your decisions thus far, but apartments being blown up, people attacking you with syringes, it isn't worth the risk to get him this way. But whatever. You'll all do whatever the hell you want anyway so I don't know why I bother saying anything" He said his tone clipped.   
  
He turned away from her and took his refilled glass. "I don't want you to pretend it's not happening, I want us to go back to Coast City and I want you to stop provoking Lex on purpose and don't say anything, because you know that's what you're doing." He said, "It's all part of the plan," he said in an exaggerated voice and then shook his head.  
  
"But I know you won't do that, so I'm just wasting my breath." He glanced at her concern on his face, and swallowed hard his chest tightening. You should have some breakfast, take some more medicine the doctor gave you, and let me enjoy the rest of my scotch." He said voice tired as he moved around her and sat on the couch.

“Damnit, Hal, stop walking away from me!” Tess cried. Tears sprang into her eyes and she rapidly blinked them back, desperate not to let them fall. Tess hated crying and she knew how much it upset him when she did cry and she didn’t want his sympathy right now. She followed him to the couch and knocked the glass of scotch out of his hand before he had a chance to take a sip, sending the liquid crashing over the couch and onto the floor where the glass shattered on impact.

“Stop acting like you’re the injured party here and like your opinion doesn’t matter to me,” Tess snapped. “I knew this wasn’t going to be easy and you told me you could handle it. You said you understood why I wanted to do it. But now it sounds like you were just waiting for this moment so you can say ‘I told you so’ or whatever it is that you’re doing. If you want to go back to Coast City, go, no one is going to stop you. But it’s too late for me to run and hide, Hal. That’s not who I am and there was a time when you knew that.” Tess shook her head as the tears slipped down her cheeks. She couldn’t handle the way he was looking at her. She angrily wiped away her tears and tried to ignore the ache in her chest.

The sound of a phone ringing broke the silence and Tess grabbed her purse that she had dropped on the table the night before and pulled out her phone. She saw Emil’s name flashing on the caller ID and sighed. “Hello?”

Emil cleared his throat and shifted the phone as he glanced down at the lab results in front of him. "Good morning Tess, I have those result for you," he said voice light. "The chemical inside the syringe was a type of poison. That amount would have killed you almost instantly." He said quietly before pausing and giving her a chance to digest that information.  
  
Oliver had briefed him on what had been going on and he sat there explaining how the chemical worked to Tess.  
  
Hal watched her on the phone and his heart clenched at the tears he still saw in his eyes. He felt bad for yelling, but he hated how she was making it seem like this was his fault. He knew he should have just road it out and not said anything. He pushed himself off the couch needing to keep himself busy and started to pick up the larger shards of glass as she talked on the phone.

“Thanks, Emil,” Tess said quietly. “I’ll let Oliver know when I see him.” She pushed the button to end the call and tossed the phone on the table where her purse still sat. Emil’s words echoed through her mind. The syringe had been filled with enough poison to kill her. Emil had explained that as it traveled through her system, she would have been overcome with pain; Lex wanted her to suffer before she died. She wasn’t surprised. She had assumed as much when she’d seen the syringe in her attacker’s hands, but having the confirmation from Emil made the whole experience seem direr somehow.

She turned and looked at Hal as he picked up the glass she had broken. Tess bit down on her lip, not sure what to say. She knew where he was coming from and she knew he wouldn’t be this angry if he didn’t love her as much as he did. Tess knew that he’d never wanted her in harm’s way but he couldn’t seem to understand why she was so desperate to bring down Lex. “Emil said the liquid in the syringe was poison,” she told him quietly. “It was what we expected.”

Hal nodded and stood up slowly finally glancing at her and his chest tightened when he saw the expression on her face. He let out a small sigh and put the pieces of glass on the table. "Yeah, I figured as much." He said quietly before moving forward and closing the distance between them. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back in a comforting gesture.  
  
Hal was quiet for a minute before speaking. "I'm sorry," he said and quickly continued. "I'm sorry I yelled, but I'm not sorry for having my own opinion on this. I think this was the wrong route to take and I'm tired of sitting around pretending that everything is fine, because it's not." He told her calmly.  
  
"I don't expect you to run away from this, I just wish you could see what I'm trying to say, but you can't and that's fine." He told her. "I know you're doing this because Lex is a monster, but I still feel like you, Oliver and even Chloe are taking unnecessary risks with this. And that particular opinion of mine isn't going to change." He said while moving back and cupping her cheeks so she was looking at him.  
  
"I'm not going back to Coast City without you and I didn't say I can't handle this, maybe you should stop putting words into my mouth." He said while giving her a pointed look. "I'm just tired of seeing you upset and hurting both emotionally and now physically and it pisses me off beyond belief that you can't understand why I'm so frustrated with this situation Tess." He said the words softly keeping the anger he felt out of his tone so she could see he wasn't trying to fight with her.   
  
"Just let me be angry and get it out, I'll get over it, but right now I'm still pissed and I need you to just let it be because going back and forth with something neither of us is going to agree on is only going to wind up making one or both of us say something we regret and that's the last thing I want," he told her quietly while brushing a thumb against the skin beneath her eye.

“Okay,” Tess agreed. She didn’t like the idea of leaving things unresolved because it was only going to lead to another fight, but she didn’t have it in her to go another round with him. He had a point; neither of them were going to change their mind about the situation and there was no reason for them to stand around yelling at each other. “I’m sorry, Hal. I don’t want to fight with you.” She wrapped her good arm around his waist and tugged him closer, needing to feel his body against hers. She couldn’t seem to get Emil’s words out of her head. Tess had known the risks but it was still hard for her to process how close she had come to almost dying.

“Maybe we should go home for a few days,” she suggested. “My assistant left me a message and said Oliver has been working on a possible meeting with some clients later in the week. It’ll be good to get out of Metropolis for awhile.” Tess knew it was just a temporary solution and it wouldn’t solve the problem between them, but she thought it might help. She knew how much Hal loved California and she missed it too. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of spending some time alone with him away from Lex and everything else.

Surprised crossed his face at her words and he pressed a kiss against the side of her head. "You know, I think that's a really good idea Red," he said lightly while rubbing his hands down her back. "Maybe a few days will get Lex to back down for the moment and give us a little time to ourselves." He said while pulling back from her and gripping her face in his hands again.  
  
"I've missed you lately," he said softly before placing a light drawn out kiss to her lips. When he pulled back he rested his forehead against hers. "How about some breakfast and those pills?" He asked, "I know your arms gotta be hurting. Why don't you go grab them from the bedroom while I finished cleaning up the glass here," he said quietly before pressing a kiss against her nose. He knew going back to Coast City for a couple of days wouldn't fix everything but it would keep her safe and away from nosy reporters for a little while at least.

“I’ve missed you too,” Tess said. She’d been working a lot and half the time she ended up bringing more work home with her. Hal hadn’t said anything, but she knew it was hard for him to stay home all day and then have her come home and more or less ignore him. She’d been focusing on work so she wouldn’t have to think about what was happening to her life. She brought her hand to his cheek as she leaned forward and kissed him again.

“I know you’re still mad, but I don’t want you to forget how much I love you,” Tess said. Her voice wavered and she swallowed hard, trying to compose herself. “I’m sorry about the glass,” she added. She gave him a sheepish look, embarrassed that she had gotten angry enough to knock it out of his hand.

Hal's face softened. "I love you too," he said softly before placing another kiss against her lips. When he pulled back he glanced towards the floor and shrugged. "No worries I can always drink from the bottle," He joked before motioning towards the bedroom. "Go ahead. Grab the pills I'll clean this up and make you some eggs," he said softly.

“That is not funny,” Tess said. She gave him a pointed look before making her way down the hall to their room. Even though they had basically agreed to disagree, she felt a lot better about their current situation. She knew Hal was still angry and she couldn’t blame him for that, but she really hoped a few days back in California would help him. Now all she could do was hope that Oliver and Chloe would find something they could use against Lex while they’re gone. Tess rubbed her hand over her sore arm as she reached for her pills. The last thing she needed was for all of this to be a waste.

 

______

 

It was after two by the time Oliver made his way downstairs to check his voicemail. Chloe had insisted on taking a shower by herself because she’d claimed the first shower they’d taken together hadn’t been productive. Oliver disagreed. He’d found it very productive even if getting clean had been the last thing on either of their minds. A large grin crossed his lips as he walked to his desk and logged into his computer. He really couldn’t care less about work at the moment, but he knew he needed to check in before there was some kind of emergency that would really take away from his time with Chloe.  
  
He sat down and scrolled through his inbox, answering a few emails and forwarding the rest to other people to take care of. Oliver was able to concentrate for about fifteen seconds before his mind drifted back to Chloe. His grin widened as he thought about kissing her and touching her and the sounds she made when he put his mouth on her. Oliver felt his pulse starting to race as images flashed through his mind.

God, he was crazy about her. Now that he finally knew what it was like to be with her, Oliver didn’t think he’d ever be able to stop touching her. He’d never had that kind of experience before and he wasn’t completely sure what it meant. All he knew was that he was happier than he’d ever been and he planned to hold onto that.

The sound of the elevator pulled him from his thoughts and he glanced up to see Hal stepping out of the cage and walking toward him. “Hey man, how’s Tess?” Oliver asked. He felt guilty for not calling to check up on her sooner.

Hal saw the flash of guilt in his friends face as he moved into the room body tense. He stopped in front of Oliver’s desk and slipped his hands into his pockets as he shrugged. “She’s Tess, you know how it is,” He said briskly. Tess had woken up not long ago and was currently packing her bag for Coast City. After he made her breakfast and they talked a little more he had gone with her to bed and stayed with her until she fell asleep. Once she was out Hal went about making arrangements for their trip, glad that they were getting away for a little while.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and glanced at Oliver taking note of the relaxed look on his face. Well at least one of them seemed to have no worries at the moment. “I wanted to stop by and let you know that Emil called.”  He told him, his voice calm as he addressed his friend. “He said it was poison in the syringe, a chemical that would have killed her.” He said slowly.

“One of those long drawn out deaths. That Lex, he’s a real peach,” He said flatly, his hands clenching in his pockets, his jaw tightening as he attempted to subdue the anger building inside of him.

Oliver scowled as he rubbed his hand over his face. That was typical Lex. It wasn’t enough for him to kill Tess; he’d want to torture her in the process. He noticed that Hal didn’t really answer his question about how Tess was doing and he noted his friend’s stiff posture and Oliver could see that Hal was struggling to bite back his temper. “We’re going to stop Lex,” he said. Oliver knew Hal had been against the plan from the beginning and he could only imagine what was going through his head now. “I know you’re upset but you just have to stay focused. We all do,” he added.

Hal pursed his lips. He had planned to come up here tell Oliver what Emil said, that they were going back to Coast City for a bit and then go back downstairs. But at the moment he was a little to pissed off at Oliver’s constant one track mind. His friend was supposed to go into work today and cover for Tess and yet he was sitting on his ass behind his desk at home and hadn’t even taken to the time to come down and check on her.

Hal shook his head as he glared at Oliver. “That’s all you care about isn’t it?” He snapped. “Stopping Lex. I’m so fucking sick of this man,” He said voice hard. “I told you, _both_ of you that this plan was a bad idea. I said it the second Chloe stepped foot on our doorstep and neither one of you listened to me.” He said while crossing his arms over his chest.

“I took leave from work and came out here because you couldn’t leave well enough alone and so Tess as always felt obligated to follow to help, because that’s just the kind of person she is. Warm hearted and caring and wanting to do right by you and the world, which normally I don’t have an issue with.” He told him. “So I came along and when she decided to go public after Lex almost blew Chloe and her cousin up I told her I thought it was a bad idea, that it wasn’t worth the risk and we could find another way.” He said, his voice louder now as his glare intensified.

“Did either of you listen? Of course not and now where are we? Lex is actively trying to kill my girlfriend. I understand you guys think this will work and maybe eventually it will, but honestly Oliver it’s not worth the risk. You need to pull your head out of your ass and see that. And if him almost killing Tess isn’t a big enough eye opener, how about this one.” He said not bothering to lower his voice.

“This entire thing started because of Chloe. Lex has been after her for years apparently. He had her in 33.1 and he tried to blow her up. If you think he doesn’t know that she’s the reason we have this information you’re sadly mistaken. What do you think he’s going to do to her? Because as bad as slow acting poison is, somehow I don’t think he’ll be as generous with Chloe.” He said harshly and then swallowed heavily knowing his words were sharp and feeling slightly guilty.

“I’m tired of being the only person who’s been thinking about this rationally. Everyone just thinks Lex is going to slip up and that will be it and you know what, he probably will slip up…but at what cost? When is it enough Oliver?” He asked his brows furrowing as he stared at his friend. A slight creak to his right had him shifting his head in the direction of the stairs where Chloe was standing in one of Oliver’s shirts and Hal sighed.

Oliver’s mouth fell open in shock and he simply stared at his friend for a minute. He was torn between being hurt that his best friend thought so little of him and being angry that he had the nerve to act like this whole thing was just some schoolyard game between him and Lex. His words about Chloe stung because deep down Oliver had known all along that Chloe would constantly be a target for Lex but he thought he could keep her safe.

At least he wanted to believe that, but maybe Hal was right. They hadn’t been able to keep Tess safe so why was he arrogant enough to think that he could keep Chloe away from a madman? He was too caught up in his thoughts to notice that Chloe was standing on the stairs.

“That’s not fair, Hal. You act like I don’t give a damn about anyone and you know that’s not true. I know you’re scared for Tess, I am too. I didn’t just arbitrarily decide to put her in danger. And don’t you dare blame Chloe for this. She’s a victim too along with countless other people who Lex has hurt. We have to stop him. It’s what we do, Hal. It’s the whole reason we signed up for this hero gig,” Oliver reminded him. His jaw twitched and he willed himself to calm down. Fighting with Hal wasn’t going to get him anywhere, but he couldn’t just let his remarks go.

“Yes Oliver, you don’t need to tell me why we do this and normally you run a tight ship and try to keep everyone happy,” He said forcefully keeping his voice calm. “But in this instance you’re wrong. Lex is a madman, he’s a crazy asshole, but there needs to be a better way to beat him at his own game. The whole reason you came here was so we could get Chloe to help us,” He said avoiding the blondes gaze, “We have her help, we could have done it without going this route it just would have taken a little longer and in the mean time we would have done what we always do. Rescue the people he has and burn up his facilities.” he said voice hard.

“This isn’t helping. It’s going to make him angry and you know better than anyone how spiteful he gets when he’s angry. There isn’t anything he won’t do, so I don’t think the taunting and the lawsuits and everything is a good idea. But again I’m outvoted so it doesn’t really matter what I think,” He said voice tired. “Look contrary to popular belief I didn’t come up here to fight. I wanted to let you know Emil called and Tess and I are going back to Coast City for a few days. If we need you or have any information to pass along, we’ll call.” He said pointedly making it clear by his tone that he expected them not to be disturbed.

Chloe wasn’t sure what to do. Her chest tightened at Hal’s words knowing he was right. This was her fault and it was the same thing she’d been telling Oliver when they first found out about Tess. Just because Lex was after her it didn’t mean she needed to make everyone else his target too. She could see how tense Oliver was and the pain on his face from Hal’s words knowing it must hurt to have his best friend saying those things to him. She wanted to go over there and comfort him, to tell Hal to get the hell out if all he was going to do was blame Oliver and make him feel guilty, but she wasn’t sure if it was her place to do that.

Oliver had known Hal a lot longer than he knew her and she didn’t want to get in the middle of something and make things worse, but she had this need to defend him that was getting rather difficult to control.

Oliver heard Hal’s implication loud and clear. He was taking Tess home and he didn’t want him or anyone else to bother them. “Thanks for telling me about Emil,” he said stiffly. “Tell Tess that I hope she feels better.” He had a lot more that he wanted to say, but Oliver figured it was best to just leave it at that. Hal obviously thought this was Oliver’s fault and maybe it was.

Maybe he had screwed up and put everyone in more danger than they’d been in before. He’d had doubts about Tess coming forward, but he’d ignored them because he thought there was a chance the plan might just be crazy enough to work. Now Tess was hurt, Hal was pissed off and Lex was just going to come after them again. 

But Oliver knew Hal didn’t want to get into any of that more than he already had. He’d said his peace and that was that. Oliver couldn’t blame him. He knew how much Hal loved Tess and that he would do anything for her. That was why he’d gone along with this in the first place. He was right. It had been a mistake.

Hal gave him a curt nod. “I will. We’ll see you when we get back.” He said and hesitated for a minute before turning out and making his way towards the elevator, his chest tight. Maybe he’d been too hard on Oliver, but he was tired of sitting around and keeping his opinions to himself. He said what needed to be said.

Chloe watched as the elevator doors slid shut and she swallowed heavily as she made her way down the rest of the stairs quietly. She bit her bottom lip as she walked up behind Oliver and paused for a second before laying her hands against his shoulders and squeezing them lightly, finally letting him know she was there.

“Hey,” Oliver said. He turned and gave Chloe a weak smile. “How much of that did you hear?” he asked quietly. He supposed it was too much to hope that she had missed the conversation and she’d just happened to come downstairs as Hal walked out. Guilt churned in Oliver’s stomach as Hal’s tense voice echoed in his head. They’d had their share of disagreements over the years but it never lasted long. He’d certainly never watched Hal leave knowing that he wasn’t going to be back for awhile. Fresh guilt burned in his chest as he looked up at Chloe, waiting for her answer.

Chloe swallowed hard her heart clenching at the guilt she saw in his eyes. She let her hands cup his cheeks and then slide down to his neck as she met his gaze. She knew how close Oliver and Hal were. He’d told her how they’d met and dozens of other stories about their friendship over the course of the time they were getting to know each other and she couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been to watch him walk away like that. “Hey…Does it matter?” She asked softly while brushing her thumb lightly against his bottom lip.

“No,” Oliver replied. It really didn’t matter if she’d heard the tail end of the conversation or the entire thing. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him so she was standing between his legs. “How was your solo shower?” he asked, doing his best to lighten the mood. Hal’s words bounced through his head again and Oliver wondered if he was being selfish.

Hal obviously thought so and he knew him better than anyone. Or he did until Chloe came along. Oliver knew he’d been more open with Chloe than he’d been with anyone else in his life. He looked up into her eyes and saw the familiar guilt mixed with worry. It was obvious she’d heard most, if not all, of their conversation. He wondered if she thought he was selfish but Oliver couldn’t bring himself to ask the question so he simply pulled her a little closer and rested his head against her stomach.

Chloe threaded her fingers through his hair rubbing his scalp lightly. She was quiet for a minute before speaking. “He’s wrong Ollie,” She said barely above a whisper. “He had no right to say those things to you I don’t care who he is. He’s lucky I respect your friendship with him enough that I didn’t kick his ass out,” She said sternly. “I understand why he’s angry. He has every right to be, but this isn’t your fault.” She said while lifting his head slightly so he was looking at her. Her face softened slightly. “You spend ninety percent of your time looking out for everyone else Oliver. Tess doesn’t blame you, you know that. Hal is just angry.” She told him.

“And I know that doesn’t really make the words hurt less, but he’s wrong. You’re the best man I’ve ever known, you know that don’t you? How amazing I think you,” She asked him lightly as she brushed a thumb against his cheek.

Oliver turned his head and pressed his lips to her thumb. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “I think you’re pretty amazing too, Sidekick.” He leaned back in his chair and pulled her down into his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her as he held her body against his. Maybe he was selfish, but all Oliver wanted in that moment was to be close to Chloe. He sat there holding her for a few moments, not saying anything until the doubts in his head got to be too much for him.

“What if he is right though? I’ve always hated Lex and it pisses me off that after all the facilities we’ve taken down and after all the evidence we’ve collected it’s still not enough to bring him to justice. What if I let that cloud my judgment?” He’d always considered himself objective, but Lex was different. Oliver’s hatred for him ran deep just like his hatred for Lionel had. Oliver certainly hadn’t shed any tears when that bastard got what he deserved.

Chloe listened to his words and gave him a thoughtful look before shaking her head. “Oliver he is not right. When Tess said no in the beginning you didn’t push the issue, you were willing to find another way, to work with me and pool our intel to take him down,” She said quietly as gripped his chin lightly tilting his head slightly to make sure he was looking her in the eye.

“A selfish man doesn’t go out and risk his life every night to save people he doesn’t even know. A selfish man doesn’t go out of his way to help people like Bart, AC. and Victor, bring them off the streets, give them a job, a purpose…a family even,” She whispered softly. “And that’s just you’re after hour activities.” She told him softly. “You should be proud of the man you are Oliver.” She told him quietly.

Chloe hated seeing the guilt on his face especially since she knew it was there because of her. When she first showed Lois, Tess’s records all those months ago, she should have listened to her cousin’s warning. Apparently she had ruined more than one life that date and now Oliver was taking the blame for it and she hated herself for that. She hated that they were fighting because of something she did.

“You make me sound better than I am, Chloe,” Oliver said. He brushed her hair back from her face and pulled her closer so he could kiss her. He wasn’t sure what he had done to deserve her, but he was extremely grateful for whatever it was. “Hal will cool off eventually. He’s scared because he almost lost Tess. I get that.” He held Chloe a little tighter as he met her eyes again. “I’m used to him having my back and I feel like I let him down. I knew he was against this from the start and maybe I didn’t push Tess into anything but I didn’t try that hard to stop her.”

Chloe nodded and bit her bottom lip as she rubbed a hand over his arm. “You’re not going to always agree. Tess wants Lex to pay for the things he’s done.” She said quietly. “We talked about this in the hospital.” She admitted softly. “It’s not your job to stop her. She’s a grown woman Oliver, she made her own choices. Choices that she knew the risks for and obviously believed in otherwise I doubt she’d risk her life for it.” She pointed out as she ran her hand back to his shoulder and kneaded the tension in the muscles there.

“Hal will get over it eventually, I’m sure things will be better when they get back from Coast City,” She said lightly. “Until then the only thing you can really do is give him the space he asked for,” She said softly.

“I know,” Oliver said. He hated it but he knew Chloe was right and he just had to let Hal cool down on his own. She was right about Tess too. Tess was stubborn and no one could make her do anything she didn’t want to do. She hated Lex long before she had any idea that she was related to him and Oliver knew Lex almost killing Chloe and Lois had been the last straw for Tess. Hal had to know it too whether he wanted to admit it or not. Maybe that was part of the reason he seemed to blame Chloe for everything that had happened. Or at least the things he wasn’t blaming Oliver for.

He swallowed hard, doing his best to clear his head. There wasn’t anything he could do for Hal or for Tess at the moment and he was just going to have to try harder to bring down Lex before he had a chance to hurt anyone else. Oliver focused on Chloe, giving her a genuine smile. “Thank you,” he told her sincerely. “I’m really glad you’re here with me, Chloe.”

She gave him half a smile. “You’re welcome and I’m really glad I’m here too,” She said softly before running a hand down his other shoulder, concern on her face. “Is there anything I can do?” She asked needing to do something to make him feel better or get his mind off of things. Chloe hated seeing him upset.

Oliver grinned, mischief in his eyes as he slid his hand under the shirt she was wearing to caress her smooth thigh. “Well, I suppose you could take your clothes off, go upstairs with me and make that shower you took a waste of time.” He nodded thoughtfully. “I definitely think that is a good plan for the rest of the afternoon. Interested?” he asked.

Chloe chuckled lightly as she grinned at him. “You’re insatiable, do you know that? And the rest of the afternoon? I think that’s slightly ambitious on your part.” She teased, amusement dancing in her eyes as she leaned towards him pressing a kiss against his jaw before moving her lips and grazing his ear with them. “I guess we can do that...By the way, did I mention I’m not wearing anything under this shirt?” She asked, warm breath hitting his ear as she let her fingers trail over his chest.

“Really?” Oliver’s grin widened as he slid his hand further up her thigh until his fingers brushed against her center. “Maybe I’m not the only one who is insatiable, Sidekick.” He gave her a knowing look as he stood quickly, keeping her in his arms as he walked toward the stairs. “And for the record?” he whispered as he pressed a kiss to her neck and then another quick one to her lips. “The entire afternoon is not nearly enough time for everything I have in mind.”

Chloe smirked as she tilted her head nipped at his neck gently before sighing dramatically. “I have a feeling the amount of hours I sleep are going to drastically decrease from now on,” She teased while tightening her arms around him a hint of anticipation filling her as he moved up the stairs and carried her towards the bedroom.


	16. Chapter 16

Chloe glanced at her watch while moving down the street quickly, heels clacking against the pavement at a fast pace as she made her way towards the restaurant at the corner of the street. It was a quarter after one and she was fifteen minutes late for lunch with Lois. She had planned on leaving with more than enough time to get there, but as she was grabbing her purse to head out Oliver stopped by her office and he might have distracted her.

Chloe flushed at the thought of his hands on her body and she could only imagine how red her face was. Every time she thought about him her body grew warm. She was pretty sure them working in the same building, hell the same floor was going to seriously come back to bite her in the ass. She shook herself out of her thoughts as she finally made it to the restaurant. Chloe pulled open the double doors and went straight passed the hostess.

It had been close to two weeks since the day Hal stopped by to tell Oliver that he and Tess were going to Coast City and the two had just gotten back about three days ago. Oliver had been more than a little hurt that they’d stayed a lot longer than originally planned, but she’d done her best to keep him distracted. Hopefully now that they were home Oliver and Hal could work things out.

Chloe was startled out of her thoughts by someone bumping into her. They apologized and she smiled letting them know it was okay as her eyes glanced over the people around her. It took her less than five minutes to spot Lois and she moved quickly in her cousin’s direction. “Hey Lo, sorry I’m late,” She said sheepishly as she sat in the seat across from her cousin.

“That’s okay, cuz. I may have just gotten here myself,” Lois admitted. She’d had every intention of being on time because she’d been looking forward to lunch with Chloe all week. It seemed like every time the two of them made plans, something came up and one or both of them had to cancel. Even though they talked on the phone every day, usually several times a day, they hadn’t had a chance to see each other since the day Lois and Clark had gone to Oliver’s penthouse to talk about a game plan and that had been ages ago.

Lois had a million things she wanted to tell Chloe and she was really hoping her cousin had some good gossip for her because as much as she loved living with Clark, he wasn’t really big fan of gossip. Half the time, he didn’t even know who Lois was talking about when she was reading to him from the entertainment tabloids. It was disgraceful.

She set down the menu she’d been drooling over, anxious to talk to Chloe about the actress who was cheating on her husband with the football player but before she opened her mouth, she took a closer look at her cousin. Her skin was flushed and she had a far off look in her eyes and the hint of what could only be described as a dreamy smile on her face. As she shrugged off her coat, Lois snorted and motioned toward Chloe’s blouse. “You might want to fix your shirt before you go back to the office, Chlo. You wouldn’t want your boss to get the wrong idea.”

Chloe glanced down and her cheeks flushed, a hint of red to them as she reached down and quickly fixed the buttons on her shirt. It had taken her forever to get Oliver to let her go and she'd been in a rush. When she finished fixing it she glanced up at the amusement on her cousin's face and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Stop looking at me like that, it's not what you think." She said before biting her lower lip as Lois gave her a stern look. "Okay, okay fine it is what you think. But it's not my fault! Oliver accosted me! He wouldn't let me leave," she explained while reaching forward and taking a sip of the water that was in front of her. She knew Lois was going to want details and for once Chloe actually didn't mind sharing them.

"Really?" Lois eyed her cousin skeptically. "I'm sure it was extremely rough on you to have a sexy billionaire putting his hands in your shirt.” She rolled her eyes as she reached for her glass of water. "Come on, Chlo. Don't make me beg for the details we both know you want to share."

Before Chloe could answer the waiter walked over to see if they were ready to order. Lois shook her head and waved her hand, indicating he should make himself scarce. She had already forgotten about the fact that her stomach had been rumbling since she left the Planet. "Let's start with how long you've been getting busy with Oliver and why you've neglected to tell me."

Chloe arched an eyebrow and grinned as she let out a light sigh. "My boyfriend is kinda sexy isn't he?" She asked cheekily. She glanced at Lois mischief filling her eyes. "That's not the only place his hands were...He's like some kind of ninja. His hands move quicker than a cowboy," She said as her tongue ran across her bottom lip. She had to fight to keep a moan from leaving her throat at the thought.  
  
She shook herself from her thoughts and gave Lois a sheepish look as she reached for her water again taking a large sip to try and cool her body down. "About two weeks," she said softly while meeting her cousin's gaze. "And Lo...I can't even explain the things he does to me," she said her voice low, eyes bright. "He's amazing; _everything_ about him is amazing..." She told her letting her voice trail off as a silly grin spread across her lips.

"Good to know," Lois said as she reached for her own water. She'd never seen her cousin so happy about a guy before and she couldn't help thinking it was about time. She loved Chloe and she wanted her to be happy and it certainly seemed like Oliver was doing his part to make that happen for her. She smiled as Chloe got that dreamy look in her eyes again. "I guess living and working with Oliver has its perks," she teased. "I'm surprised you get anything else done. Or maybe you don't." Lois smirked.   
  
Her stomach rumbled and she glanced around, wondering where the waiter had disappeared to. The service in this place was a lot worse than she remembered it being. Lois took another sip of her water. "How's Tess doing? Has she recovered from the attack?" Lois had actually been surprised when Chloe had called her and told her what happened.

She wasn't surprised that Lex had tried to kill her; she expected nothing less from the sick bastard. She'd been surprised that he'd only sent one guy to do it. He'd clearly underestimated Tess. Lois barely knew the woman but she had no doubt that she was a survivor. Then again, Lex still seemed to think it would be easy for him to get rid of her and Chloe. Lois supposed it was a good thing, for them anyway, that Lex never learned his lesson.

The look on Chloe’s face sobered quickly and she nodded. “She’s doing okay. She and Hal just got back from Coast City a few days ago. We’re going to have dinner without the boys later. Oliver and Hal need to work out there issues and Tess and I figure we should be there to make it worse...or rather I shouldn’t,” She said lightly knowing Hal was still slightly angry with her and Oliver even though he had calmed down quite a bit since he and Tess had left.

“But she seems to be doing better, angry as she should be. Lex seriously doesn’t realize that he’s pissing off the wrong people. I say you me and Tess go kick his ass,” She said an amused smile on her face as she lifted the menu and started glancing over the dishes there. “And to answer your other question yeah...we don’t get anything done anymore, or at least I don’t.” She said chuckling lightly. “I’m going to be working late tonight and I’m going to make him go home so he doesn’t distract me.” She said affectionately before glancing at her cousin. “How are things living on the farm? Are we enjoying the permanent cohabitation?” She asked lightly.

“Things are good,” Lois said. She smiled at her cousin as familiar warmth filled her chest at the thought of Clark. They were still adjusting to a few aspects of living together but overall Lois felt like it was going better than she could have ever imagined.

It was nice getting to spend extra time together because even though they worked together, Clark was gone a lot during the day and Lois was usually busy chasing stories and covering for him with the rest of the staff. “Clark’s been patrolling a lot more since Tess was attacked. I think he feels like it’s the best thing he can do to help.” She shrugged and lifted her glass to her lips once again.  
  
“Personally, I think we should all get to take turns beating Lex’s shiny head with blunt objects but no one cares what I think.” Lois winked at her cousin before her expression turned serious. “I’m glad Tess is better and I can’t really blame Hal for being angry but he should focus that anger on Lex, not you and Oliver.”

“I’m really glad things are going well with you and Clark,” She said while placing a hand over Lois’s and squeezing it lightly. She was glad her cousin was happy. She leaned back and arched an eyebrow at the rest of Lois’s words. While the image of beating Lex with blunt objects appealed to her, Lois’s comment about Hal did not.

“Let’s not even suggest that to Hal please. It will only start another small war and we all have better things we can be doing with our time.” She told her before frowning slightly and hesitating before speaking. “He has a point though as much as I hate to admit it. I mean I’m torn. You were right in the beginning, I shouldn’t have gone to California with that information,” She said softly as she met her cousin’s eyes.

“Bringing that information to them was wrong and with Hal angry, Tess getting hurt, and Hal fighting with Oliver and Tess, well I can’t help but feel guilty. Because even though it’s Lex’s fault Tess was hurt, it happened because of the information I gave them.” She said quietly. “And then I say it was wrong and I wish I hadn’t gone there and I feel even guiltier because if I hadn’t gone there I never would have met Oliver.” She told her with a sigh. Chloe just couldn’t seem to win, either way she felt horrible and unfortunately as much as she wanted it to, it looked like that wasn’t going away anytime soon.

She shrugged before glancing back at her menu. “I just want this to all be over you know? Get Lex once and for all so everyone is safe.” She said softly.

“You shouldn’t feel guilty for being happy, Chlo,” Lois said. “We can all play the ‘what if’ game and have twenty-twenty hindsight, but what’s done is done. Yeah, this sucks, but it sucked before too. Maybe Lex would never have known about the Tess connection if you hadn’t gone to California. Or maybe he would have stumbled upon it on his own one day and just decide to kill her without any warning. My point is that he’s unpredictable but at least Tess went into this with her eyes open just like we do every time we go up against him. “  
  
Lois spotted the waiter out of the corner of her eye and waved frantically to get his attention. He made his way to the table and both women placed their orders. As soon as he headed toward the kitchen, Lois leaned forward and lowered her voice. “But I do agree that I want this whole thing to be over sooner rather than later. Lex has to be pissed that he’s attempted to kill all three of us and none of those attempts worked. Clark is worried whether he’ll admit it or not and I’m sure Oliver is too. There has to be something we’re missing.” She knew Lex was good at covering his tracks, but no one was perfect.

Chloe nodded. “I agree. At this point he has to be getting annoyed. There’s no way he’s not, we just need to wait for him to slip up, but if he doesn’t do it soon...then maybe we need a bolder move.” She said quietly as she leaned towards Lois. “At this point I swear I’m this close to barging into the mansion and having it out with him myself.” She said voice hard. “We’ve been over everything. I’ve been through almost every file I have on him. We know Lex...if there’s dirt on him it’s not going to be far from where he is...” She said while pursing her lips.

Chloe tilted her head and glanced at her cousin quietly for a minute. “Maybe it’s time you and I did a little snooping...” She said letting the sentence trail off as she gave her cousin a small grin.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Lois replied with a conspiratorial grin. She loved Clark and she knew he was doing the best he could and she had no doubt Oliver was doing the same, but they had other things to worry about too. They still had their nightly patrols and Clark was always running off to follow distress calls and Oliver had his high pressure day job. It was time for her and Chloe to put their investigative skills to good use and find out what Lex was hiding. “What do you have in mind, cuz?” she asked.

Chloe grinned. She knew Lois would be up for some good old snooping. It wasn’t something they hadn’t done in a while. “I’m thinking you and I need to take a trip to the lion’s den.” She said lightly as she leaned forward. “I’ve been tracking Lex’s movements and I’m almost one hundred percent sure I can bypass the security system at the mansion and reroute the internal video feed so that we can search the mansion. No one knows that place better than we do,” She said quietly. “Lex is keeping stuff there...I know he is.” She told her.

“He’s way too cocky to hide incriminating evidence away; he’d want it where he can keep an eye on it. So we go in do a little recon of our own, check the vaults and that huge room in his study...I really think we have a chance of finding more information there.” She said quickly and opened her mouth, but paused when their waiter came back over with their food.

They thanked him and when Chloe was sure he was out of earshot she continued. “So what do you say Lo...You game?” She asked lightly.

“I am and I know exactly when we can do this,” Lois said. Her eyes were shining with the excitement of finally being able to help instead of sitting on the sidelines waiting for something to happen. She didn’t have the patience for that kind of thing. Lois knew Chloe was right and Lex was cocky enough to think that he could hide evidence in plain sight and no one would be the wiser. She didn’t doubt Chloe would be able to get them around his security system and the two of them had been in the mansion enough times to be able to find their way around without any problems.  
  
“Lex is having a banquet dinner at Luthor Corp. the night after tomorrow. It’s some big cooperate deal and he’s inviting all the advertisers from the Planet. As you can imagine, sales have been dropping lately and he wants to show them that they should keep investing even though everyone is reading the Star instead since it has actual news.” Lois rolled her eyes. She was disgusted with everything Lex had done to the paper. She had half a mind to go work at the Star. The editor had repeatedly offered her a job but Lois was convinced the Planet would be great again someday. Plus she didn’t want to leave Clark. “We can go in then and we’ll be guaranteed Lex won’t interrupt us.”

Chloe nodded. “Perfect, I’ll work on the security angle and map out a plan for us.” She said before pulling a fry into her mouth and smiling. She paused for a second the smile disappearing as she looked back up at her cousin. “I think maybe we should probably keep this little plan between us...You know like the good old days,” She said lightly knowing that neither Oliver nor Clark would be happy about what she and Lois were planning on doing.

But the truth was she was getting antsy. She’d done what Oliver asked and stayed at the Clock tower instead of finding a place so he wouldn’t be worried about her on top of everything else he was worried about. But she usually found the best information when her and Lois went snooping around where they didn’t belong and somehow she knew this wouldn’t be any different. Oliver and Clark had their patrols and work and this was something she and Lois could handle on their own. No reason to bother the guys.

Lois nodded as she added a generous helping of ketchup to her plate for her fries. “Yeah, Clark would just try to stop us and then I’d have to lie to him and it would be an ordeal. You just tell Oliver that you’re coming to the farm to have dinner with me and I’ll tell Clark I’m having dinner with you. I don’t see them comparing notes so we’ll be in the clear.” She knew Clark would be mad but he was just going to have to live with it. Besides, if she and Chloe found something on Lex that would lead to them putting an end to this whole thing once and for all, Clark really couldn’t complain about that. Well, he could and he probably would, but she would find a way to distract him.

Chloe nodded. “That sounds good,” She said as she lifted half of her burger and took a generous bite out of it. She knew Oliver wouldn’t be happy if he found out...Okay maybe not happy about it was an understatement, he’d be pissed. But she and Lois were going to be in and out and Oliver and Clark wouldn’t be any wiser. No reason to worry them for nothing. She popped a fry in her mouth and glanced at Lois. “So what else is new?”

“Nothing really,” Lois replied with a shrug. She took a bite of her burger and gave her cousin a thoughtful look as she chewed. “Work is the same. Lex finds the most boring stories known to man and assigns them to me. I spent my last two paychecks replacing my wardrobe and I’m really anxious for that insurance check to get here. Other than that, things have been quiet aside from the usual stuff. What about you? Have you done anything lately besides Oliver?” she teased.

Chloe choked on her fry and sent a light glare her cousin’s way before taking a long sip of water. Her cheeks were once again tinted red, which apparently seemed to be a theme lately every time someone mentioned Oliver. She gave her cousin a sheepish smile. “Of course I have...” She said letting her voice trail off and biting her lower lip as she pulled another fry into her mouth. When Lois didn’t say anything, but continued to stare at her, Chloe rolled her eyes.

“Oliver is...very hands on,” She said not really sure of another way to put it without sounding crass. “He’s intoxicating Lois it’s like I’ve lost the ability to say no.” She said her face turning even redder as she groaned. “I just mean,” she leaned in and lowered her voice. “It’s not just the sex...everything with him is so intense. When we’re together it’s like...everything else doesn’t exists. When he touches me...” Chloe swallowed hard and shook her head.

“We spent all day in bed on Saturday. I mean I think we ate once...All day Lois. I didn’t even know that was possible. He wouldn’t even let me out of bed to look at my computer...and I barely put up a fight to go see it in the first place...He makes me feel, I can’t even describe it,” She said softly not wanting to try with the way she could already feel her body reacting to the images in her head of the things they did together. She was a lost cause it was horrible she couldn’t think about anything but Oliver.

“Wow, Chlo,” Lois said. She wasn’t sure what else to say to that. “I have to give Oliver points for taking your mind off work and sending it elsewhere.” She gave her cousin a smug look as she tried not to laugh. Lois was really happy that Chloe had found someone who made her feel that way and the few times Lois had seen Oliver and Chloe together made her pretty confident that Oliver was crazy about Chloe too. Her cousin deserved that. She’d spent so much time putting her own life on hold to help Clark or to help other people that it was long past time for her to have a little fun, or a lot of fun, apparently.”

Chloe shrugged slightly embarrassed by how she was gushing. She stopped eating and was quite for a minute before meeting her cousin's gaze, her expression turning serious. "I really like him Lois," she said softly. "I've never felt this way about anyone. I know I've only known him for a few months but Ollie knows me better than anyone ever has." Chloe hesitated for a second. "I think I'm falling for him Lois...hard." She said quietly a hint of uncertainty filling her chest.

“Chloe,” Lois said softly. She wiped her hands on her napkin and reached across the table, taking Chloe’s hand in both of hers as she met her cousin’s eyes. “I hate to tell you this, cuz, but you passed falling about six exits back. You’ve  _fallen_. Hard,” she added with a smile. “I think it’s great. I know I don’t know him very well but if Oliver makes you this happy that’s a win in my book. Hold onto it,” she said. Lois knew she wasn’t really one to give love advice because it wasn’t like she’d had any real experience before Clark, but she knew happiness when she saw it and she knew her cousin. She’d never seen her this happy.

Chloe's face brightened slightly and she squeezed her cousin's hand back briefly before pulling back and lifting her cheeseburger off her plate. "Thanks Lois, that means a lot," she said softly while taking another bite her mind drifting to Oliver, wondering if he felt the same way and whether or not it was something she should tell him or just leave things the way they were. Why fix what isn't broke.

 

______

 

Oliver sighed impatiently as he stood in the elevator watching the numbers climb as the car ascended toward the penthouse. It had been another long day at work because there were more problems in the New York office. Scott had been hesitant to talk to him but once he’d gotten on the phone, he had talked to Oliver for nearly three hours about issues he was having. Oliver was starting to think Scott was the real problem. But he couldn’t afford to send Tess to New York to fix things at the moment so Scott was getting a reprieve from the firing he deserved. But Oliver had warned him again that things needed to turn around in the next quarter or there were going to be changes made.

He loosened his tie and then dragged his fingers through his hair, rolling his shoulders to try and expel some of the nervous energy he didn’t really know what to do with. They hadn’t made any progress on the Lex front, Hal was still barely speaking to him and Oliver was frustrated. Part of him just wanted to find Lex and beat him until he admitted all his evil deeds, but he knew that would make him no better than Lex. He sighed again as his thoughts drifted to Chloe. She had left before him because she had dinner plans with Tess. Oliver was glad they were spending some time together but he wasn’t crazy about the fact that Chloe was going out for the night without him.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her or didn’t think she was capable of taking care of herself. He knew Lex wasn’t going to try anything in a crowded restaurant and Chloe and Tess would be perfectly safe. But Oliver was accustomed to spending all of his time with Chloe and he missed her when she wasn’t around, even if it was only for a few hours. He knew he should probably go out and patrol while she was gone, but after the day he’d had, he wasn’t really in the mood.

The doors finally opened into the penthouse and Oliver shrugged off his jacket, tossing it on his desk chair along with his tie. He started toward the kitchen to see if there was any food and stopped when he heard the sound of heels on the stairs. He turned, smiling at Chloe as she made her way down the stairs. “Hey, I assumed you left already. Unless of course you changed your mind,” he teased.

Chloe had her hands near her head securing the earring in her ear when she heard Oliver's voice and glanced up. "Hey, no we're leaving soon, but I needed to come back and shower and find a dress and do my hair and dig out my new heels that were way too high for me to reach," she said giving him a pointed look as she came off the last stair and moved towards the living room. She had worked late and by the time she was ready to leave Oliver had still been working so she had said a quick goodbye and left him to it so she could get ready for dinner.  
  
She and Tess had decided they needed a girls night out and maybe they thought tossing Oliver and Hal in a room alone together would help. Chloe bent over, grabbing the things she'd taken out of her other purse and putting them in the one that matched her red dress. She spoke over her shoulder as she tossed things inside of it. "How was the rest of your night? Did you get everything squared away with New York?"

“Not really,” Oliver replied. He wasn’t in the mood to talk about work and he was having a hard time concentrating on anything except for the way the dress clung to her body. He watched her for a minute as she put stuff in her purse and then he moved toward her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and pulling her body back against his. “Are you sure I can’t change your mind? I promise I’ll make it worth your while,” he whispered before placing a light kiss on the sensitive spot near her ear.

Chloe groaned slightly before turning around in his arms and sliding her hands down his chest until they were resting at his sides. She ignored his question as she spoke. "Tess is going to be here in like fifteen minutes," she told him before leaning forward a pressing a soft kiss against his lips. She pulled back a minute later and cupped his cheek with one hand, her face softening at the tired look in his eyes.   
  
Chloe knew how frustrated Oliver was by the fact that they weren't making progress and on top of everything else he was dealing with, it made him stress more than he should. She pressed a light kiss to his jaw before tilting her head back and sending him a small smile, "Hi," before her brows furrowed. "You're tense; you should try to relax a little Hero. Take a load off." She told him lightly.

“I’m fine,” Oliver assured her. He didn’t want Chloe worrying about him when she was supposed to be enjoying herself. She needed a break and he didn’t want her to spend the whole night thinking about all the problems that were going on around them. “I’m sure I can find something to do to occupy myself while you’re gone,” he said. He slid his hands down her back until they were on her ass and squeezed her flesh lightly as he pulled her body closer to his. “Have I mentioned how gorgeous you look?” He leaned down and brushed his lips lightly over her neck, leaving a trail of whisper soft kisses against her skin as he continued to knead her ass through the thin material of her dress. “I don’t think Tess will appreciate this dress as much as I do,” he said against her shoulder.

Oliver knew it probably wasn’t a good idea to get both of them worked up. Fifteen minutes really wasn’t enough time for what he had in mind. It seemed like no matter how often they had sex or how much time they spent together, it was never enough. He was always thinking about her and wanting to touch her and kiss her and show her how much she meant to him.

Chloe moaned a wave of anticipation shooting through her as arousal coursed through her body. She bit her lower lip unable to keep herself from pressing her body into his. "Ollie, you're not playing fair," she said a slight hitch in her voice as she dropped her hand to the hem of his shirt and slipped it beneath the material.

Chloe's heartbeat sped up at the feel of his muscles beneath her palm and her body warmed. She threaded her fingers through the back of his hair holding him to her neck as she caressed his stomach with her hand.

“I never claimed to play fair, Sidekick,” Oliver said. He moved forward until her back was pressed against the clock face that hid his equipment as he slid his hands around to her hips and lifted her so her body was pressed intimately against his. Oliver met her eyes before he dipped his head and kissed her. His lips moved feverishly over hers as he let his frustrations melt away and he just focused on Chloe and how much he wanted her. He coaxed her mouth open, deepening the kiss as his tongue tangled with hers. They were so caught up in each other that neither of them heard the elevator doors opening.

Tess stopped short when she saw Oliver and Chloe, causing Hal to run into her and nearly knock her off balance as he stepped out of the elevator. She smirked and cleared her throat loudly. “If you wouldn’t mind coming up for air, Chloe and I have dinner reservations,” she called.

Chloe broke the kiss and tilted her head to the side sucking in a sharp breath as she caught sight of Tess and Hal. Her cheeks flush and she nudged Oliver to put her down. If they kept this up her face was going to turn permanently red from all the embarrassment. When her feet hit the ground she held onto Oliver for a second to steady herself.  
  
Chloe tugged her dress down and gave Tess a sheepish smile. "I'm ready, or I was," she gave Oliver a pointed look, but there was a hint of humor in her eyes. She turned to Tess and held up a finger, "Just give me a minute to freshen up," she said while moving back towards the couch to grab her purse.  
  
She caught sight of Hal watching her and she gave him a small smile. "Hi Hal," she said lightly.  
  
He gave her a tight smile. "Hi," he said as he watched her move towards the bathroom. He stood at Tess side and turned his eyes to Oliver. The past couple of weeks in Coast City had been nice and it gave Hal a chance to calm down a bit and try to look at things rationally.  
  
He was still slightly angry with his friend and Chloe, but he also knew that wasn't something that was going to change overnight. He pressed a hand to Tess's lower back rubbing it lightly as he nodded at Oliver. "Hey man, how's it going?" He said calmly.

“It was going pretty well until you two showed up,” Oliver replied. His tone was light, but Oliver couldn’t help the slight tension that crept into his shoulders. He didn’t really know where he stood with Hal and he was kind of surprised to see him standing in his apartment. He’d hardly said anything to him since they’d gotten back from Coast City and Oliver had kept his distance, assuming that Hal needed more space. He tucked his shirt back into his pants and offered his friends a tight smile as he walked toward them. “How are you feeling?” he asked Tess.

“Good as new,” Tess said. She sent a pointed look in Hal’s direction. She had let him talk her into staying in Coast City a lot longer than she’d intended and it had been nice. She’d recovered from her injuries and she’d put in some time at the Star City offices. He’d gone back to work for a few days and things had been normal. But as soon as they returned to Metropolis, she’d seen the tension in his body again and she knew he wasn’t happy to be back. She was trying to appease him and had agreed to work from the apartment for the time being so he would know that she was safe and she wouldn’t have to go back to the place she’d been attacked. But she was starting to get stir crazy and she was extremely grateful that Chloe had suggested dinner even though she knew Hal wasn’t happy about her leaving his sight.

Hal pursed his lips. "Yeah I can see that," he said before catching the look Tess sent his way. He let out a small sigh and attempted to release the tension in his shoulders. He knew Tess needed to get out of the apartment and he understood that and was trying not to be too overbearing. But her making him come up and spend time with Oliver was a pain. He knew that was part of the reason Tess and Chloe were ditching them tonight and he wished his girlfriend would just let him fix things at his own pace. Before he could say anything else Chloe made her way out of the bathroom, lipstick redone, dress in place and grinned. "All ready." She said lightly as she walked past Oliver and towards Tess.  
  
She paused and turned to face her boyfriend. "Tess and I thought that you and Hal could keep each other company while we're out." She said with a bright smile knowing he probably wasn't going to be happy with their meddling, but she felt bad that things were so strained between him and Hal and she knew it bothered him even though he didn't say it.

“Do you two want to pick out something for us to watch on TV and order our food before you go?” Oliver asked sarcastically. He knew Chloe and Tess meant well but it wasn’t their place to force him and Hal together. His best friend looked like he’d rather be at a funeral than standing there and that wasn’t a good sign for the rest of the evening.

“Stop being a jackass, Oliver,” Tess said. She tugged on Hal’s sleeve and when he turned to look at her, she gave him a quick kiss. “You too and I know you didn’t say anything but you were thinking it. Play nice, boys,” she said. She linked her arm through Chloe’s and pulled her toward the elevator. Tess didn’t give a damn about the space Hal wanted. He’d been brooding long enough and it was time to get over it.

Hal pursed his lips and watched them disappear into the elevator before turning towards Oliver and pointing over his shoulder at them. "Real nice woman we've got. They toss us away and run off together," he joked attempting to break the tension in the room. He knew Tess wanted him to talk to Oliver and the truth was, he missed his best friend.  
  
He knew it sounded all silly and girly, but this was the longest he and Oliver had gone without talking since they became friends. The whole point of heading back to Coast City for a while was so he could calm down, keep Tess safe and spend a little time with her. Hal had known they were going to have to come back eventually and even though he didn't want Tess going along with this stupid plan, he was aware they couldn't just pull back in the middle and not follow through.  
  
Hal knew he should have put up a bigger fight when they first decided to do this and since he hadn't, there wasn't much he could do about it now. He shook himself out of his thoughts and cleared his throat as he scratch the back of his neck. "You got any beer?" He asked, tone light.

“Yeah, come on,” Oliver said. He motioned for Hal to follow him into the kitchen. He figured it was probably a good sign that Hal hadn’t turned to leave as soon as Chloe and Tess were gone. He opened the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of beer. He opened both of them and set one down in front of Hal on the counter as he took the seat beside him. They were both quiet for a few minutes as they sat there drinking. But for once, the silence wasn’t thick with tension and Oliver hoped that was a good sign.

“So how are things going?” he asked. He set his beer down and turned in his seat so he was facing Hal. “How was California?” Oliver figured the trip was as good a place as any to start the conversation. He’d talked to Tess a few times while they’d been gone and after they got back but it was strange getting secondhand information on his best friend. He didn’t like it and he really wanted to fix things between them. But he wasn’t going to push. Hal was the one who was angry and Oliver didn’t want him to think he didn’t care about his feelings.

A smile tugged at Hal's lips as he nodded. "California was good. It was exactly what we needed," he said as he glanced away from his beer and towards his friend. "I went back to work for a few days, I was finally able to spend some time with Tess and people weren't watching us twenty four seven." He said. "It was more like twelve seven," he joked lightly before taking another sip of his beer.  
  
Another silence settled between them and Hal let out a long breath as he met Oliver's gaze. "Look," he started voice quiet, "I owe you an apology." He said before pausing. "Not because of how I feel, but because of how I went about expressing those feelings." He told him quickly.  
  
"You're my best friend man, and I shouldn't have implied that you didn't care about anyone, but yourself, because I know that's not true. You've got a lot on your plate and I get that." He said as he lifted the bottle again and took another short swig. "I also know we need to see this plan through and even though I'm not happy about it, there's really nothing I can do about it. I should have protested more in the beginning and I didn't." He told him, his eyes dropping to the bottle in front of him.  
  
"You and I aren't going to agree on this one...But that's okay. Us being friends isn't contingent on agreeing on every little thing we do. I'm still not crazy that you didn't talk Tess out of this plan and put her needs above getting Lex and I'm still really pissed that your girlfriend started this whole mess to begin with, but at this point it is what it is," He said with a shrug. Hal didn't want to fight with him anymore, but he wanted him to know that just because they weren't fighting it didn't mean his opinion of the plan had miraculously changed.

“I’m sorry too,” Oliver said. He knew it was taking a lot for Hal to apologize and attempt to put his anger aside and he wanted him to know that he appreciated it. “You’re right,” he said. “I never should have agreed to this plan and I should have talked Tess out of it. You have to know I never wanted her in the line of fire anymore than I want Chloe there or Lois or all the nameless people we go out and save every night. But now that we’re in this deep we can’t back out and I’m sorry about that too.” He hated to admit it but part of him had been selfish. He’d known the risks and he’d agreed to do it anyway and Oliver wasn’t sure he would have been so careless if it was anyone other than Lex who they were trying to bring down.

“I don’t blame you for being angry with me and I get why you’re still resentful toward Chloe although I appreciate you trying to hide it,” Oliver said. He knew Chloe was smart enough to know how Hal felt, but his friend was trying and that meant a lot to him. “She feels terrible about all of this and she told me a part of her wishes she’d never come to California in the first place. You can imagine what I thought of that,” he said dryly as he took another long swig of beer. Oliver understood what it was like to carry around guilt and one of the things that made it more difficult was when something good came out of a bad situation. He knew it was hard for Chloe to deal with the fact that the only reason they had each other was because she’d turned Tess’s life upside down.

Hal gave Oliver half a smile and nodded. He knew it couldn't be easy for his friend to hear that especially considering how much he cared about Chloe. Hal didn't hate Chloe, he just wasn't her biggest fan at the moment. But once this was all over and they all made it out okay it would be easier to get along with his best friends girlfriend.   
  
He looked up from his beer and arched an eyebrow. "Thanks man," he said lightly and took another sip of his beer. "It looks like things are going pretty well with you two though. Is she worth all the trouble," he joked.

“Well considering the fact that I’m in love with her, I’m going to go ahead and say yes she is worth the trouble,” Oliver replied. His eyes widened the second the words left his mouth. It wasn’t really a newsflash for him; he’d known for some time that he was falling in love with Chloe. But he hadn’t really intended to say the words out loud. He glanced at Hal, not sure what to say as he felt his cheeks growing hot. Oliver wasn’t the type to get embarrassed easily or at all, but he didn’t normally blurt out declarations of love over a beer in the middle of his kitchen either. “What are the odds you can pretend I didn’t just say that?” he asked.

Oliver figured they were slim to none and he waited to hear what Hal had to say. Things had been strained between them lately and he knew Hal didn’t have the greatest opinion of Chloe, but he was his best friend and it mattered to him what he thought.

Hal's eye's were wide for about two seconds before he shook his head, took a long swig of beer and smirked at Oliver. "So I suppose I'm going to have to start making an effort to like this girl more since we're going to be sharing holidays," he said lightly before his expression turned serious. He could see how happy Chloe made Oliver and even though she wasn't Hal's favorite person he thought of Oliver like a brother and he wanted him to be happy. "All joking aside I might not be crazy about Chloe, but if you're happy, then I'm happy for you." He told him.

“Thanks, man,” Oliver said. He finished his beer and immediately got up to go get another one. He hadn’t really expected the conversation to go in this direction and his throat was suddenly incredibly dry. He brought Hal a second bottle too even though he wasn’t finished with his first one yet. “I am happy,” he admitted. “It feels wrong to say that with everything that’s going on around us, but when I’m with Chloe I feel like it doesn’t matter.” He glanced down at the beer in his hands as shame crossed his face. “You’re probably right about me being selfish because this feels selfish like I have no business being happy even for a minute when there are so many things going wrong at the moment.”

Hal pursed his lips guilt filling his chest at his friends words. He knew how hard Oliver was on himself and he felt bad for adding to it. He kicked his friends seat gently to get his attention and when Oliver looked at him, Hal shrugged. "You gotta stop with the constant guilt man. When I left with Tess and went back to Coast City, I'm not ashamed to say I forgot all about you and Lex and all that shit, and just enjoyed time with the woman I love." He joked, but it was partially true.   
  
Once they were back home he hadn't bothered to think about everything going wrong in Metropolis. He just enjoyed the time they had. "I even convince Tess to stay an extra ten days just so I didn't have to come back to this bullshit right away and I'm not dealing with it twenty four seven like you." He said quietly. "We all need a break and if coming home to your girl keeps you sane you shouldn't feel bad about that."

Oliver nodded, but he didn’t say anything for a moment. He wanted to believe Hal was right and maybe on some level he did. They all needed a break every now and again or they would go insane. Oliver had told Chloe that he didn’t want her to feel guilty or think she was selfish so maybe he needed to take his own advice. “I’m glad you and Tess were able to get away for awhile and God willing this whole thing will be over soon.” Oliver figured they had to catch a break soon.

He picked up his beer and stood up. “Come on, there’s probably a game on somewhere we can watch now that we’ve kissed and made up minus the kissing part, because no offense man, but I’m not interested.” Oliver grinned at Hal as he headed for the living room. It was nice having his best friend back.

Hal snorted amusement dancing in his eyes as he followed Oliver into the living room. “That’s because you’re too busy kissing Blondie into exhaustion.” He said with a grin as he plopped down on the couch beer in hand, giving his friend a sideways glance. “Speaking of…” He said letting his voice trail off as he arched an eyebrow at his friend waiting for some kind of details about his relationship with Chloe. True they weren’t girls, but when he had first started dating Tess they’d shared stories…or he had and Oliver had patiently listened.

His friend had never had any stories to tell since he’d never had a steady girlfriend before, not a real one anyway. Just women that came and went, no one he cared about like he obviously did now.

“I see we’ve moved onto the hair braiding portion of the evening,” Oliver joked. He took a seat on the couch beside Hal and took a long sip of beer. “I don’t know what it is, man, but it’s like I can’t keep my hands off of her.” Oliver gave Hal a look when he opened his mouth. “I don’t mean just like that. I mean that too, obviously,” he said. Oliver figured Hal had seen that with his own eyes when he’d walked in. “But it’s more than just sex. I feel better when she’s around, calmer, somehow. Does that make any sense?” he asked.

Oliver had never been in love before; he’d never even come close. He had no idea if what he was feeling was normal or if it even mattered if it was normal. He wanted to be with Chloe all the time and he missed her when she wasn’t around. He missed her now even though it had only been a half hour since she left, if that long. God, he was pathetic. He waited for Hal to tell him as much.

Hal watched the emotions on his friends face and he patted Oliver on the back before taking another sip of his beer. “You’re a pansy, its okay. I respect that,” He teased. “Kidding…well not about the pansy part. I think it’s normal. You’re in what they call the honeymoon phase,” He said and pointed at his friend. “No, that’s not a joke, but I think when you find that person that’s sort of how it’s supposed to be, you know?” He asked his friend while shifting slightly on the couch.

“Tess and I have been together for close to five years now and I still can’t keep my hands off of her, though we can control ourselves a lot better then you two apparently.” Hal grinned and then cleared his throat. “Speaking of Tess and I, Before Tess got hurt and we went back to Coast City there was something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Hey, we were in the privacy of my living room,” Oliver reminded him. He decided to let the pansy comment go for now because he sort of felt like that was exactly what he was at the moment. Of course, he didn’t really care. He was happy for the first time in as long as he could remember and Hal’s teasing wasn’t going to bring him down. He took a sip of his beer and nodded at Hal. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?” He felt the tension creeping into his shoulders again. He figured Tess would have told him if something was wrong.

Hal raised a hand. “Heal,” He joked. “Everything is fine. I wanted to get your opinion on something,” He said quietly, the humor leaving his face as he swallowed hard. He caught Oliver’s gaze and placed his beer on the coffee table. “I’ve been thinking of maybe asking Tess to marry me.” He told his friend slowly. “But I’m not sure if it’s time and I’m a little lost and I’m not really sure if she even wants something like that I just...It’s been five years, I love her, there’s never going to be anyone else.” He said softly as he watched Oliver’s face closely. “So...what are your thoughts on that?” He asked casually.

Oliver’s eyes widened and he stared at his friend, opening and closing his mouth for a moment as he tried to let his words sink in. “Marriage, really?” he asked. Oliver hadn’t been expecting that one. He knew five years was a long time for two people to be together and he didn’t doubt how much Hal and Tess loved each other. But he was still surprised that his friend was considering such a big step. He sat quietly for a minute, thinking about it. “Wow, man, that’s huge.” Oliver could see that his reaction wasn’t helping Hal and he quickly pulled himself together and patted him on the back.

“I think Tess would say ‘yes’ in a heartbeat,” Oliver told him. “She loves you for some crazy reason,” he teased. “Seriously, if this is what you want, you should definitely ask her. I get what you’re saying about the timing, but when are our lives ever normal?” He shrugged. “If you’re waiting for that, you’re going to be waiting a long time.”

Hal grinned and shook his head. “Thanks man. And I don’t mean timing in our lives because really come on now. I meant if it was the right time in our relationship. I mean I think we’re on the same page,” He said his brows furrowed slightly, “But I’m not sure, which as you know isn’t like me.” He told him with a grin. Hal lifted his beer and finished it off before putting the empty bottle back on the table.

“I was going to ask her as soon as we’ve got the Lex issue taken care of. I want to wait for us to put that son of a bitch behind bars before I ask her...And I’ve gotta pick up the ring that I might have already bought,” He said sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck.

“You already bought a ring? I’m impressed,” Oliver teased. He took a sip of his beer and then leaned forward to set the bottle on the coffee table. “Look man, I know things have been weird between all of us lately, but with the exception of you, I know Tess better than anyone else does. She loves you and she’s going to be ecstatic when you ask her. In fact, she’s probably going to turn into one of those crazy bridezillas that they make reality shows about.” Oliver arched an eyebrow. “Are you ready for that?” he teased.

Hal smirked. “Don’t worry, I’m going to propose and then go into hiding until the day before the wedding. I’ve got a plan with a secret hideout and everything,” He joked. “And before you go teasing me just you want. At the rate you and Blondie are going she’ll be Mrs. Queen before you know it.” He said with a large grin before pouting slightly. “Then I really will have to start getting alone with her…and you’ll value her opinion over mine. This is depressing,” He said sullenly while crossing his arms over his chest.

Oliver gaped at him. “You’re jumping the gun a little, man.” He reached for his beer again and drank nearly the whole thing in one sip. “I want you to be nicer to Chloe and not just because I love her but because you haven’t given her a fair shot.” He gave him a pointed look. Oliver knew Hal was making an effort, but only because he’d asked repeatedly so it wasn’t exactly a genuine effort.

He really thought if Hal would let go of his bias that he would really like Chloe. “But I don’t see marriage being on the table for us anytime soon. It’s only been a few months,” he pointed out. Oliver was pretty sure that Chloe would run screaming in the opposite direction if he even hinted at marriage. Not that he was ready to take that step either.

Hal sighed and watched Oliver quietly for a minute. “I’ll tell you what. If we all make it out of this whole Lex thing alive, I’ll make a real effort to get to know your girlfriend. How’s that?” He asked knowing that it probably wasn’t what Oliver wanted, but he was trying his best. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Chloe; it was that every time he saw her all he saw was the fact that she’d brought the information that caused all this havoc.

But Hal had even tried to let that go at the dinner they all had together and since then he and Chloe had been getting along better, until Tess got hurt anyway. Now it was back to the way it was before.

“All right,” Oliver agreed. He tapped his bottle against Hal’s. That wasn’t what he wanted, but he knew it was all Hal could do for him now and it was going to have to be enough. “But let’s try to be a little more positive than ‘if’ we all make it out of this alive. We will,” he said confidently. There was no other option. “So do you want to watch the game or do you have some wedding magazines for us to flip through?” he asked.

Hal’s eyes turned into slits as he watched his friend’s face for a minute before he smirked. “I don’t know, that depends do you have any pansies-r-us magazine’s you’d like us to flip through?” He asked slightly amused.

“Asshole,” Oliver muttered. He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, flipping it to one of the sports channels. “If you want to order a pizza or something, you know where the phone is,” he said as he leaned back against the couch. Oliver felt a lot better now that they’d gotten everything out. Things weren’t going to go back to normal, or at least their version of normal, until they stopped Lex, but at least the tension had eased up. Apparently Chloe and Tess had known what they were doing when they’d decided to throw them together for the night.


	17. Chapter 17

Tess smiled at Hal over her shoulder as he helped her put into her coat. “Thank you,” she said as she slipped it on and quickly buttoned it up. “It’s a shame we’re back to needing coats,” she said as she linked her arm through his and let him lead her through the restaurant toward the door. That had been one of the great things about being back in California. The weather had been about twenty degrees warmer than it currently was in Metropolis even with the breeze coming in off the ocean at night. She really hoped they got everything worked out before it was officially winter. Tess wasn’t sure she could handle that much cold weather on top of everything else.

“Thanks for dinner too,” she told Hal as she leaned up to press a kiss against his ear. Tess had been putting in long hours in her home office and Hal had come in and told her to put on a nice dress and fix her hair because he’d made dinner reservations for them. Tess knew he was as sick of being in the apartment as much as she was and it had been nice to get dressed up and have a night out with the man she loved. Now that Hal and Oliver had worked things out, he wasn’t as tense even though she knew he was still as worried as ever. But they had put all of that aside for the night and just had a good time.

Hal grinned as he eyed his girlfriend her lips trailing along his ear. It had been a couple of days since he and Oliver worked things out and things between them were still doing pretty well, which of course made not only him happy, but Tess too. She was still working from home and he knew his girlfriend was just as bored as he was so he’d decided that they needed a night out. And Hal had decided to give her one before she ditched him for Chloe again.

He wrapped an around her shoulders pulling her closer to his side as he spoke. “You’re more than welcome for dinner Red and I definitely have to agree, I miss the lack of jackets in California. Hopefully this will all be done soon so we can finally head home,” He told her lightly as he nodded towards the host of the restaurant before walking past him and towards the double doors to get outside.

“I hope so,” Tess said. She wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned into him as he pushed the double doors open. “But in the meantime, we’ll just have to find another way to keep each other warm. If you’re up for it,” she added with a smirk as she moved even closer to him, resting her other hand on his stomach. The night air was chilly and a shiver went down her spine as they turned the corner to walk toward the car. She was about to say something else when she spotted a familiar figure walking right toward them and her entire body stiffened as the smile slipped from her face.

Lex was in a hurry to get to dinner. He was supposed to be meeting up with a few prospective business partners and he wanted to get the dinner over with quickly so he could make his way back to Smallville already. It had been a long day and he just wanted to head home, check in on things in the facilities that were up and running and be done with it. For the past few weeks he’d been running around like a crazy person dealing with lawyers and press, it was ridiculous. Just the thought of all the time he’d been wasting lately made his chest burn with anger.

He was not happy with the turn of events or the fact that no matter how many people he paid off this mess wouldn’t go away. Lex was quickly running out of patients especially since the explosion at the Talon and the poison for Tess hadn’t worked. Both attempts to get rid of the people causing him all this grief had been in vain. He knew he should have sent more than one man after Tess, she was after all a Luthor.

He wouldn’t make the same mistake next time. Lex sighed and glanced down at his phone and he approached the double doors of the restaurant. He was in the process of checking his emails on his cell phone when he heard a noise and glanced up. His eyebrow arched as he came face to face with Tess Mercer herself. Lex smirked and paused pocketing his phone as he glanced between the two people in front of him. “Well, well well, what do we have here?”

Pure hatred flowed through Tess’s veins as she stared at Lex. This was actually the first time they’d come face to face since she had made her announcement about being his half-sister. All the court issues had been handled by their lawyers and she’d purposely avoided any business functions he might have been attending.

She watched him for a moment as he just stood there like he was a normal person on his way to dinner instead of a psychopath who had tried to have her killed just a few weeks earlier. Her jaw clenched and Tess forced herself not to just start screaming at him. There was no one around at the moment but they were on a public street in front of a popular restaurant. Anyone could overhear what they said and take it to the press.

“Lex,” she said coolly. Just saying his name out loud made her want to vomit. Tess didn’t dare look at Hal, but she tightened her grip on him, not wanting him to do anything crazy. At this point, he wasn’t on Lex’s radar as anything more than her boyfriend and she wanted to keep it that way.

Hal’s arm tightened around Tess as he glared at the man in front of them. How dare he open his mouth and speak to her. Hal didn’t possess the finesse that Oliver did when it came to Lex. He hated the guy plain and simple and he wasn’t letting that monster come near the woman he loved. He shifted slightly so his body was angled between them and Lex rolled his eyes.

“What’s the matter,” He said addressing Hal, “Are you still upset about that little incident that happened on Tess’s way home from work?” He asked, humor dancing in his as he saw the other man’s jaw clench.

“Back off,” Hal said forcefully.

Lex just chucked ignoring Hal and looking towards Tess. “So tell me, how did you get away from the horrible man who was trying to hurt you a few weeks ago, inquiring minds want to know.” He said as he studied her expression wanting to see her reaction to his words.

“You mean the man you sent to kill me?” Tess replied. Her expression was bored when she met Lex’s gaze, despite the rage that was building inside of her. She knew he was trying to taunt her and get a rise out of Hal but she was not about to give him the satisfaction. She was not about to let him think that he could just toy with her emotions or scare her into backing down. “Why don’t we save ourselves time and effort and call a spade a spade, Lex?” she asked. 

She kept her arm around Hal’s waist, but Tess stood a little straighter as she eyed Lex like he was something she needed to scrap off the bottom of her shoe. “Your concern is touching, really, or it would be if I didn’t know what a manipulative bastard you truly are.” Tess’s lips curved into a smile and she knew anyone passing by would think they were having a pleasant conversation.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t go down without a fight? You can’t get rid of me that easily, Lex. Unlike Daddy, I wouldn’t turn my back on you in front of a forty-story window.” Tess paused, considered it for a moment. “Or were you looking him in the eye when you shoved him to his death?” she asked.

A slow smile spread across his face while fury built inside of him. “Did you’re new best friend Chloe tell you that?” He asked and didn’t bother giving her a chance to answer. “Well she must have considering there’s absolutely no proof to your allegations…Or is there,” He said mockingly. “Regardless, you wouldn’t be able to get your hands on it even if there was.” He told her as he took a step closer making Hal tense and grip Tess to him almost painfully as he straightened.

Lex sent him another amused look. “Unclench would you Mr. Jordan, I don’t plan on killing your girlfriend in the middle of the street," he said pleasantly. While showing them another smile so anyone around them would think they were friends. He met Tess’s eyes but was still talking to Hal. “I like to plan a bit…be creative. Now that I know she obviously has the Luthor’s will to survive,” He said his eyes flashing with an unrecognizable emotion, “I’ll have to reevaluate my tactics.” He told them airily, before his eyes turned cold.

“But make no mistake about it you won’t mske it through this little fight Lutessa,” He said emphasizing the name. “You’ve messed with the wrong billionaire; you should have just stuck with Oliver…” He said before shifting his gaze back to Hal and shook his head. “And I know all about you Mr. Jordan…best friend of Oliver Queen,” He sneered. “How does it feel knowing that the woman he’s so infatuated with is going to be the downfall of all of you?” He asked nonchalantly. “If it wasn’t for Chloe you’d all be in your quiet little Coast City living that normal life you so desperately miss. By the way enjoy your little vacation did you?” He asked with a smirk.

Hal took a step forward, but he felt Tess’s hand tighten on him and he took a deep breath. He needed to remember they were in public, but Lex was making it increasingly difficult to care. Lex saw the move and humor danced on his face. He knew Hal was angry and it was one of the reason’s he’d dragged Tess back to Coast City. Lex wasn’t stupid, he had been doing his research and he needed the boyfriend to snap because he was seriously running out of reasons to send out counter suits and his focus was being diverted too easily.

“It’s a good thing you have your girlfriend to hold you back, I can only imagine how a physical assault would set back those court cases. But don’t you worry Harold; after I kill your girlfriend I’ve got a special place I plan on taking Chloe…a place no one will ever be able to hear her screams. You should take comfort in the fact that I plan to keep her alive as long as that nifty power of hers keeps bringing her back, restitution for the fact that it’s her fault I’m ruining your life.” He said lightly.

Hal’s chest tightened at Lex’s words and now more than ever he knew he’d been right. They should have never gone along with this plan, there was no way they were all going to get out unscathed. He swallowed heavily and straightened up. “Your words are nothing but empty threats Lex and none of us are buying them.” He said voice hard.

Lex’s irritation grew as he glanced at Tess eyebrow arched. “Is that what you think too? That my threats are idle?” He asked his voice dangerously low.

“I don’t doubt that you mean them, Lex,” Tess said. It took all of her self-control not to show any reaction in her face despite the fact that her nails were digging into Hal’s arm hard enough to leave marks even through the layers of clothing he was wearing. But she couldn’t let him do anything he’d regret and as much as she knew he would enjoy punching Lex in his smug face, it would be a mistake. There was a good chance someone would catch it on camera and she knew Lex meant it when he said he would press charges and turn the entire incident into a circus. She wasn’t about to let that happen.  
  
“But you’re not going to win this fight, Lex. I’m not going to disappear into the night and we all know you can try to kill me again, but you’re too smart for that. Everyone knows I was attacked,” Tess said. Lois had made sure of that. They’d known Lex wouldn’t print the story, but Lois had used her contacts to ensure all the other local papers did.

“If something were to happen to me now it wouldn’t look good for you.” Her smile widened but her eyes were ice cold when they locked on his. “So you have no choice but to bide your time and while you’re doing that and stewing in your anger against me and Chloe and Oliver and everyone else who you feel has wronged poor, innocent Lex, we will find something that will put you away for the rest of your life.”

He glared at her and moved closer, but Hal shifted his body so he was slightly between them. Lex didn’t even bother to glance in his direction. “I’m going to enjoy killing you,” He said voice hard. “Almost as much as I’m going to enjoy torturing Chloe, who knows, maybe I’ll enjoy killing you more.” He told her before moving back and motioning towards his phone. He might not be showing it, but Lex was furious. “Now if you’ll excuse me I have a man to see about a rare Egyptian necklace that I’m about to procure, you two have yourselves a good night...while you can.” He said eyes cold.

Hal’s jaw clenched as he followed Lex’s movements. The other man walked around them and towards the front door of the restaurant, pulling it open and walking inside, not even bothering to give them another glance. Anger surged through him as he stood stiffly at Tess’s side, her nails still digging into his arm. He was not happy and any issues he’d worked through in the past few days were nothing compared to what he was feeling now.

“We’ll talk in the car,” Tess said quietly. She tugged on Hal’s arm, pulling him along the sidewalk toward the parking lot behind the restaurant. She didn’t have to look at his face to know he was furious but she couldn’t risk anyone overhearing what they had to say. Hal had driven them there, but Tess pulled her set of keys out of her purse. She figured out of the two of them, she was the calmer one at the moment.

She unlocked the doors and slid behind the wheel, taking a deep breath to prepare herself as she waited for Hal to get into the car. As soon as he closed his door, she turned in her seat and looked at him, trying not to wince at the look on his face. “I’m sorry,” she said, not knowing where else to start.

Hal shook his head as he yanked his seat belt across his chest. “I’m not angry at you alright, just drive home,” He said his voice clipped. And that was the truth, he wasn’t angry at Tess, he was annoyed, but it would pass in a few hours once he calmed down. Right now he was mostly pissed at Chloe. Oliver would have never pushed if he hadn’t known about the information in the first place. And Tess wouldn’t have been so quick to jump to the plate if Chloe hadn’t nearly been killed. This all centered around one issue and that issue came in the form of a tiny blonde.

“Okay,” Tess said quietly. She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek, letting her lips linger there for a moment. “I love you.” She moved back into her seat and reached for her seatbelt as she started the car. She knew there was no point in rehashing everything or trying to get Hal to talk about what was bothering him. She knew he was mad, probably at Chloe and if he wanted to sit in silence and stew over his anger, she needed to let him. As she pulled the car out of the lot and turned on the main street that would take them to the clock tower, she silently cursed Lex and his entire existence.

Hal gave Tess a sideways glance, before reaching out and taking her hand in his threading their fingers together before looking forward and keeping his eyes on the road. “I love you too,” He said quietly as his thoughts drifted to everything Lex had said. One way or another they were going to nail Lex on something, Hal just hoped they did it before this entire plan blew up in their faces.

 

______

 

Chloe was bent down near the ground at the back of the Luthor mansion as she typed quickly on her laptop. She’d left work a little early and picked Lois up from the Planet so they could head straight to Smallville. They were able to work out a solid plan and decided tonight would be the best night to break into Lex’s mansion. They were going to wait until the Daily Planet event, but Lex had a late meeting in Metropolis tonight and there was no way he’d be able to get to the mansion in time to stop or catch them.

She had been checking in on his progress and Lex had just made his way to the restaurant less than fifteen minutes ago. So they had at least two hours, not that it would actually take that long. Chloe felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, but she made no move to get it just yet. She hadn’t seen Oliver much today at work, he’d been busy and she was glad. Chloe wasn’t crazy about lying to him and she figured omitting the truth wasn’t exactly a lie.

If he asked her what she was doing, she would tell him, but since he hadn’t been home when she got there she left him a note letting him know she was heading to Metropolis with Lois and not to wait up. Technically it had been the truth; she was just leaving out a few small details. The computer beeped and she glanced up at her cousin who w as standing with her hands on the window and nodded. “Okay, the security system is disabled; do you have the tools to pick the window lock?” She asked while securing her laptop and dropping it into a bush as she stood.

“I do,” Lois said. She stepped forward, pulling the small kit out of the pocket of her jeans. Lois had been picking locks since she was a kid and it took her less than ten seconds to get the window open. She held it up and let Chloe climb in first before following her inside and quietly shutting the window behind her. The room they were in was primarily used for storage and they kept the lights off as they navigated their way around the clutter toward the door. Chloe had been monitoring the house for years so they knew that when Lex was out, most of the guards stayed outside the house except for the two who patrolled the hallways. They had a set routine and they had just passed this section of the mansion which meant they had some time before they made another sweep.

The two women had agreed that Lex’s study and his bedroom were their two main targets. Most of the house was for show but Lex frequented those rooms the most aside from the kitchen. They’d debated about each taking a room but figured it was probably a wiser choice to stick together just in case they ran into any kind of trouble. The bedroom was closer to this part of the house so they were going to search the study first and then loop back and search Lex’s room before making their way out of the window again.

Lois opened the door slowly and peeked into the hallway. The coast was clear as they’d expected. Chloe had placed the internal cameras on a loop so they wouldn’t pick up their presence. Silently, they moved down the long hallway until they reached the double doors of the study. Lois opened them as quietly as possible, not wanting anything to echo through the silent house and tip off the guards. Once they were inside, she turned to Chloe. “Any idea what we’re looking for?” she asked.

Chloe nodded as they moved into study closing the door gently behind them. She had been in and out of the mansion a dozen or more times since the very first time she interviewed him back in high school with Clark.   
  
"We want to check his desk and attempt to get into the safe that's behind the book shelves," she said while pointing to her right. "He keeps a lot of stuff in there. I spent the last two days hacking the security system for the vault and was able to get the five digit code." She told her quietly as she moved in the direction of the mounted CD player and books.  
  
"Why don't you check his desk? Its probably locked but you shouldn't have trouble with it," she told her cousin with a grin. "We're looking for something to tie him to the black market trade. So grab any loose papers you see. Also any photos of valuable items because there's a chance he's buying or selling it."

“Sure thing, cuz,” Lois replied. She made her way over to Lex’s desk and checked the desktop first. There were a few trinkets and a framed photo of him and his parents when he was a kid. Lois rolled her eyes at that and noticed his laptop wasn’t there. She assumed he’d taken it with him to the office that day. She pulled out her kit again and grabbed the smallest pick that she had. Desk locks were tricky because the mechanisms were so tiny. She didn’t want to risk breaking it and tipping Lex off that they had been there. Once it was open, she eased herself into Lex’s chair and pulled open the top drawer.

She ignored the office supplies and flipped through the journals that were inside. Most of them were various calendars of legitimate business meetings. She placed those back and grabbed a book that was filled with expenses. Again, it seemed like his legitimate holdings so she set everything back where she’d found it and opened the next drawer. The first thing she found was a photograph of Lex and Lana on their wedding day. The glass frame had been shattered. “Someone was testy,” she muttered as she dug around in the drawer.

“Ugh, Chlo, he’s got surveillance photos in here.” Lois wrinkled her nose as she flipped through pictures of herself, Chloe, Clark, Tess, Oliver, Hal at various places around Metropolis and Smallville. Most of them looked like screenshots from security cameras but a few of them were obviously taken with a telephoto lens. “There’s nothing really important in any of these, but you and Oliver really need to work on keeping PDAs to a minimum,” she teased as she placed the photos back in the drawer. Lois didn’t like the idea of Lex having them, but there was no reason to take them and make him suspicious. She moved onto the next drawer.

Chloe rolled her eyes at Lois's comment, but a small grin pulled at her lips. It was possibly that she secretly loved the fact that he couldn't keep his hands off her. It made her feel beautiful and desired. Two things she hadn't felt too often in her life. Chloe shook her head out of her thoughts as she finally managed to find the button that had the wall sliding open to reveal the titanium metal door.   
  
Chloe wasn't surprised that Lex had photos of all of them, that was his style. Watch and wait for the right moment to strike and she told Lois as much as she carefully typed in the code to the door. "I'm not surprised, then again we have just as many photos on him." She said while glancing over her shoulder and shooting Lois a smile as she waited for the code to process.  
  
Less then a minute later she heard an automatic click, a green light blinked and a second locking mechanism released. Chloe grinned. "We're in," she told her cousin as she pulled the door open slowly and stepped inside. There were dozens of things on shelves across the room and she started with a stack of papers to her left. "If the desk is a bust Lo, why don't you come in here, there's a ton of crap," she called out in a whisper.

“Let me just finish this last drawer,” Lois replied. She wanted to make sure they were thorough because she doubted they’d have another chance to do this. There were stacks of invoices in the bottom drawer and she flipped through them quickly. Most of the stuff sounded like business equipment, but there were a few for large electronic purchases. Lex didn’t really strike her as the home theater type so she could only assume they were for equipment he used in his labs. She pulled those out of the pile and set them on the desk. She also found a few jewelry purchases and pulled those aside too. Lois figured that even Lex wasn’t anal enough that he’d miss a few invoices. She put everything back in the drawer and slid the suspicious ones into her purse before joining Chloe in the vault.

“Wow, it’s like bad taste threw up in here,” she commented as she looked at some of the artwork Lex had on the shelves. She pulled out her cell phone and started snapping pictures. Lois figured there had to be a reason Lex was hiding it away instead of displaying it. As she moved toward the end of the row, she saw a leather bound book with familiar symbols on the cover. “Chlo, come look at this. Is it just me or do these look like the symbols from that box of stuff Clark keeps in the barn?” Lois was trying not to panic, but the fact that Lex had anything Kryptonian in his possession was not a good sign.

Chloe grabbed a few of the papers from her pile and a few photos of odd looking relics and statues before moving towards Lois. She would do more research on those when she got home. She glanced at the book in Lois's hands and swallowed hard. It was definitely filled with Kryptonian symbols. She bit her lower lip and sent Lois a sideways glance. "If we take that, he'll know we were here," She told her quietly, knowing they were going to take it, but wanting to say that out loud anyway.  
  
Chloe reached forward lifting up a small orb on the shelf next to it not noticing the red light that turned on behind them as Lois looked through the book while Chloe went to see if she could find anything else they could use.

“I know. So will Clark when I give it to him,” Lois said as she slipped it into her purse. She wasn’t looking forward to  _that_  lecture but she’d always planned on telling Clark what they did, after they were finished. It was just easier that way. She loved Clark but his need to overprotect the two of them was ridiculous and Lois would tell him as much once he was finished making his point. “Do you see anything else in here or should we move to the bedroom?” She made a face at the thought. Snooping through Lex Luthor’s bedroom was not exactly on her highlights list. She wouldn’t be surprised if there was a coffin in there stocked with fresh blood instead of a bed.

Chloe took a few more things and shoved them into her bag before shaking her head. "I think we're good, let's head to the bedroom and get this over with. I've still got a two hour drive back to Metropolis and a boyfriend who's going to be slight peeved when I come home bearing Lex paraphinaila." She told her lightly.  
  
She knew she was going to have to mention it to him at some point because Oliver would ask her where she got the information and she wasn't about to lie to him. Chloe moved towards the door and motioned for Lois to follow her. They needed to get this show on the road.

 

______

 

After changing into sweatpants and a gray t-shirt, Oliver made his way back downstairs so he could order something for dinner. Chloe was spending the evening with Lois so he figured he would eat something and then head out and patrol for a few hours. He paused by his desk and picked up his cell phone to see if Chloe had returned the text he’d sent her asking if she wanted anything from the Italian place. He was surprised to see that she hadn’t gotten back to him yet, but he figured she was busy with Lois and he’d just order her something to be safe. He dialed the restaurant, placed the order and sat down at the computer. He logged out of Queen Industries and into the JL servers to check the police scanner and see what was going on around the city.

It sounded like it was a quiet night, but Oliver knew how quickly that could change. The sun had just gone down a little while ago and he figured the criminal element was probably just waiting for the cover of darkness. He switched to a different database and checked on Lex. He was hosting some sort of fundraiser for his advertisers for the night. Oliver was curious how he was going to talk them into sticking with a paper that plummeted in circulation nearly every day, but Lex had closed the party to the press. He was probably going to bribe everyone into doing what he wanted. Oliver rolled his eyes and switched to the screen that showed the mansion security feed just as the elevator doors opened. Surprised, Oliver glanced up from the screen as Hal made his way into the apartment.

“Hey man, what’s going on?” Oliver asked.

Hal glanced at Oliver and swallowed heavily. He was furious, but he was doing his best to stay calm. He and Tess got home close to fifteen minutes ago and he waited a little while before making his way up to the penthouse. He stopped in front of Oliver's desk and placed his palms flat against the front of it.  
  
He waited a minute as his friend watched him before he spoke. "I'm done," he said voice deceptively calm. "Until this whole thing is over," he motioned around them, "I don't want Chloe anywhere near Tess." He told him. Hal had been thinking about this the whole way home. He knew his best friend loved Chloe and he respected that, but Lex had admitted this whole thing was because of her. Rationally he knew the other man was just taunting him, but that didn't make it any less true.  
  
"Tess and I ran into Lex tonight," he told him as he moved away from the desk and started pacing back and forth. "You were right about one thing we're going to nail that asshole, but you know what I'm done taking chances. He's pissed Oliver, and he's not going to stop trying. And maybe you should be a little more worried about you girlfriend than you are...because he blames her for this and honestly I hate to agree with a psychopath Oliver, but I blame her too." He told him quietly his body tensed as he met Oliver's eye.

“What?” Oliver stared at Hal for a moment as his brain tried to process everything Hal had just said. He decided he wasn’t going to touch the Tess part because Oliver was sure she would have her own issues with Hal forbidding her from being around Chloe and there were too many other questions rolling around in his head for Oliver to worry about that. “What did Lex say about Chloe? And, really, Hal? You’re going to agree with Lex over me?” he asked incredulously. Oliver could see that Hal was upset, but that was ridiculous.

Oliver could only assume that Lex had said something that got under Hal’s skin. He was good at that and Hal had been a loose cannon from the beginning of this mess since he’d been so worried about Tess. “I know you’re angry but we can’t start turning on each other. Chloe feels bad about all of this but we’re on the same side.” Oliver felt like he was starting to sound like a broken record with this speech but he didn’t know what else to say. “We’re going to find something to bring him down before anyone else gets hurt,” he said.

Hal shook his head. "I just told you that Lex is planning on killing the woman I love, the woman I plan to spend the rest of my life with and all you care about is what he said about Chloe." He said sharply. "Do you hear yourself Oliver? I love Tess. She means *everything* to me." He said stressing the words.  
  
"We obviously can't back down now and I'm here to help where I can, but I'm not taking any chances from here on out. Whatever schedule you and Clark want to follow you go ahead and do that, but I'm sticking to Tess's side from here on out." He said while pointing at his friend.  
  
"We've always had issues with Lex Oliver obviously because of what we do, but we've never gone out of our way to antaganize him." He said as he tried to explain what he meant by he agreed with Lex. "This whole plan was devised by your girlfriend and then refined by you. We wouldn't have had this information without Chloe and Lex knows that." He said harshly.  
  
"If you thought he had it in for her before then it's ten times worse now, oh and by the way thanks for the heads up on Chloe having a power." He said sarcastically. "Yes we all assumed she'd been in 33.1 but a little heads up or some kind of warning would have gone a long way." He told him while taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself down. He didn't want to keep fighting with Oliver. They had just made up.  
  
"Look, Oliver your my best friend and you know I have you back. You love Chloe that's great, I respect that, but until this whole thing is over my primary concern aside from bringing Lex down is Tess. And right now...Chloe's a liability to her. She brings unnecessary danger to her and trust me Tess doesn't need that right now, so I'm asking as your friend for you to keep your girlfriend away from mine until this is all over. I know you mean well, but you can't promise no one else is going to get hurt...you can't tell th future and I'm not willing to take that risk with Tess's life. I love her too much," He said quietly while running a hand through his hair.

“You know I didn’t mean it like that,” Oliver said. He glared at Hal. He was really tired of his friend acting like he couldn’t be concerned for Chloe and still care about Tess at the same time. “I know how much Tess means to you and if you want to glue yourself to her side, I don’t blame you for that. Lex obviously rattled you tonight, but you have to know that’s what he was going for. And I get that you don’t like Chloe and that’s never going to change but I  _love_  her, Hal so the fact that a madman blames her specifically for his problems doesn’t sit that well with me.”

Oliver dragged his hand through his hair and let out a shaky breath. He was angry and frustrated but he knew yelling at Hal wasn’t going to solve anything. His best friend clearly thought Chloe was the bad guy and Oliver didn’t think there was anything he could say to change his mind. “It wasn’t my place to tell you about Chloe’s ability and I’m not going to apologize for not saying anything. I didn’t tell her who you were until you gave me the okay,” he reminded him. Oliver wondered how much Lex knew about Chloe’s ability and if they had missed something in the 33.1 research. He was going to have to ask Victor to go over it again.

“Chloe isn’t a liability either. She’s part of the team and last time I checked we all worked together and protected one another. She’s been working day and night to try and find something to use against Lex. We all have and I know it sucks that we haven’t had any leads, but we’ll get something. Lex is not perfect no matter what he tells himself when he looks in the mirror every morning. The fact that he felt the need to get you this worked up just proves that we’re getting to him.” Oliver was starting to feel desperate, but he really needed Hal to give Chloe the benefit of the doubt. She was a target too but it wasn’t her fault. All she’d ever done was try to make the world see Lex for who he really was.

Hal sighed and he pursed his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Please stop looking at me like I stabbed your dog or something," he said slightly irritated. "You don't need to sell me on the fact that Lex needs to be stopped or that we have to keep doing this. I *know* that." He snapped and then let out a frustrated sigh. He took a deep breath and stood there silently for a minute.  
  
"Also please stop telling me Chloe is working on helping. I know that. I know she's an asset, I'm not disputing that. All I'm doing is trying to make you see what you refuse to ackowlege. Is Chloe sorry? Yes. Does she feel guilty? Yes. Is this her fault? _Yes_. Did she mean for things to go down like this? No I don't think she did. And I believe her when she says she's sorry. I'm not saying she's a bad person Oliver," he told him while pausing and letting his friend take that in.  
  
"But I am saying that everything that's happened since we met her is a direct result of the information she threw at Tess and you. And until this mess is resolved and my girlfriend isn't danger every time she steps foot out of the house, I can't in good conscience forgive Chloe until I know Tess is safe and I'm sorry that you don't understand that." He said quietly.

“I’m sorry too,” Oliver replied quietly. He didn’t care what anyone – including Chloe – said. He refused to blame her for everything that had happened. Yes, she had been the one to discover the information and bring it to their attention. But she wasn’t the reason Tess was born a Luthor or the reason Lex was a psycho who liked to experiment on people to further his quest toward world denomination. Oliver knew all about guilt and what it was like to take on the blame for all the bad things in the world but Lex’s actions were not Chloe’s responsibility. Maybe she had gone out of her way to provoke him in the past. But so had Oliver and Tess had too although it had been in a business setting instead of a personal one. The point was the only person Oliver blamed was Lex and Lionel too but at least that bastard was dead.

“I’ll talk to Clark and make sure we get all your patrols covered. Tess can keep working from the apartment or maybe you can work some magic and convince her to go back to Coast City again.” Oliver met Hal’s gaze. “I’m not going to tell Chloe to stay away from Tess but if you can convince Tess that’s the right course of action, so be it. In the meantime, I don’t think we have anything else to say.” Oliver knew that if Hal stayed any longer, one or both of them was going to say something they couldn’t take back. They were just going to have to accept this impasse for what it was.

Hal pursed his lips. "Tess isn't a prisoner. If she wants to go to work that's fine I'll go with her or I'll hang around outside to make sure no one gets near her." He said calmly even though that's the last thing he was feeling.  
  
"And if you don't want to tell her fine, but I'm telling you because I don't want to yell at your girlfriend and make her feel worse, and as we've seen sometimes my temper get's the better of me, but whatever. I'll let you get back to what you were doing." He said quickly. "Keep me informed and let me know if you find anything please."  
  
Hal gave him a quick nod his chest tight as he moved back towards the elevator, got in and pushed the button. He knew Oliver was pissed at him, but hopefully they could both calm down accept that things are the way they are and deal with Lex once and for all.

Oliver sighed once the doors closed and ran his hands over his face. He hated this and it only made him hate Lex more. He felt like he was being forced to choose between his best friend and his girlfriend. He didn’t blame Hal for being upset but he was starting to resent him for his feelings toward Chloe. It wasn’t fair that he was acting like this was her fault and Oliver was offended that his best friend wasn’t giving  _him_  the benefit of the doubt even if he couldn’t do the same for Chloe.

A loud beeping coming from the computer caught Oliver’s attention and he hit the button on the keyboard to enlarge the database screen. An alarm had been triggered in the mansion and Lex’s guards were scrambling. Frowning, Oliver keyed in a few passwords to get him into the security feed. Everything looked normal and just as he was about to assume that it was a false alarm, he noticed the guard station in the corner of the screen was unchanging. That didn’t make any sense because he’d seen them moving toward the house from the outside camera. He watched for another few seconds and when nothing changed, Oliver realized the feed had been put on a continuous loop.

“What the hell?” he muttered. Oliver’s brow furrowed as he reached for his cell phone and dialed Victor’s number. When his friend picked up on the first ring, Oliver didn’t waste time with small talk. He told him to log into the system and find out what was going on with Lex’s security. Victor was silent for a few moments and Oliver waited impatiently as he listened t the sounds of fingers flying over keys on the other end.

“Someone put the feed on a loop,” Victor said, confirming what Oliver had already assumed. “I’m undoing it on your screen so you can see what’s actually going on. But Ollie, there’s something weird about this.”

Oliver felt the tension creeping into his shoulders as he waited for the live shot to pop up in front of him. Somehow, he knew what Victor was going to say before he said it. “What?” he asked quietly as he watched the guards charge into Lex’s study. The room was empty and the guards spread out, checking behind furniture and making sure the desk and the vault were undisturbed.

“The block is coming from our system. It looks like Chloe set it up from her laptop. Did she say anything to you?” Victor asked.

“No,” Oliver replied tightly. There was so much tension in his jaw that he was afraid it might break if he tried to say anything more than the one syllable word. He scanned through the rest of the mansion and his stomach dropped when he saw Lois and then Chloe in Lex’s room going through his closet. “Thanks for your help,” he told Victor. He ended the call and pressed the button for Chloe’s cell as he watched the guards out of the corner of his eye. They were sweeping the house and he figured the women had about three minutes to get out of there before they were caught. He watched Chloe pause and he silently pleaded with her to answer the phone, but she went back to what she was doing.

Oliver swore loudly and slammed his phone against the desk. He knew he didn’t have a lot of options. He could call Clark but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get there before the guards spotted them and that would just cause more trouble if Clark appeared out of nowhere. He snatched up the phone and called Victor back again. The guards were in the hallway now, opening doors as they walked, guns drawn. Oliver saw Lois and Chloe stop what they were doing. They must have heard the noise.

“Victor, I need a distraction for the guards. Anything that will get them to go in the opposite direction,” he said when Victor picked up the phone again. Oliver knew Victor was probably watching the same footage he was so he didn’t explain any further. He heard typing again on the other end and held his breath as he watched Chloe and Lois obviously trying to come up with an exit strategy.

“I’ve got it,” Victor said. Suddenly, the computer beeped several times again and Oliver saw red dots flying up on the screen indicating an intruder in the study and another one in the kitchen. He saw the guards checking their walkie-talkies and then they turned and ran back in the direction they had just come from. “That should buy them enough time to get out,” Victor said.

“Thanks,” Oliver replied. He hung up the phone, swallowing hard as he stared at Chloe on the monitor. “Come on, Sidekick, get out of there,” he whispered to himself. His heart was pounding and Oliver wasn’t sure he’d be able to breathe again until Chloe and Lois were safely away from the mansion. In the back of his mind, he wondered where he and Chloe were going to go from here.

 

______

 

Chloe sent a glance in Lois’s direction as she drove down the long dirt road in front of her towards the farm. It hadn’t taken them long to get out of the mansion. Once the alarm went off on the other end of the house most of the guards and ran over there to check on the situation, but on their way out of the room they had run into one man with a gun. Between the two of them they were able to knock him out quick and make a run for it to the original room they’d come in from.

Once they were outside they waited near the bushes for a few minutes and Chloe had grabbed her laptop opening it to try and figure out what had happened. When she tried to log into the server she had found herself locked out. So she brought in Lex’s feed and was able to see that an alarm was triggered by a remote location. Lois had knocked her out of her thoughts after that and they’d made a run for the car, but she knew what had helped them out tonight. It was Oliver.

Chloe sighed and turned the car onto the farm’s main road. The drive had been mostly quiet and they had gotten quite a bit of information that Chloe was positive would help, yet the only thing she could think of, was Oliver.  He was probably pretty pissed that she hadn’t mentioned going to Lex’s and she knew a lecture was waiting for her when she got back to his place. A part of her just wanted to stay at the farm and avoid the argument because it had been a long day, but Chloe knew that would only make the situation worse.

She pulled the car to a stop in front of the farmhouse and gave her cousin half a smile. “Door to door service, am I the best cousin or what?” She asked lightly attempting to keep the tension out of her shoulders. Tonight hadn’t exactly gone as planned but it never really did. She and Lois were used to this kind of thing and on the bright side they at least got some information out of it, so in Chloe’s eyes the night was worth it.

“You’re definitely the best cousin,” Lois confirmed. “You’re also the best at avoiding the topic at hand. Come on, Chlo, what is going on in that head of yours? Are you worried about Oliver?” she asked. Lois had been surprised when Chloe had explained that Oliver had triggered the alarm remotely. At first she had assumed that her cousin had told him about their plans after all but the look of panic on Chloe’s face told a different story. He’d stumbled upon them on his own and while Lois had to give the guy credit for his excellent timing, she was guessing he was probably as pleased as Clark was going to be. But Lois knew how to smooth things over with Clark; she’d had years of practice. Chloe’s relationship with Oliver was still fairly new.

Chloe hesitated. “I’m sure he’s going to be angry that I didn’t tell him, but I’m sure it will be fine. It’s not like he tells me every time he goes on patrol or does team stuff with Hal.” She said lightly though she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. “We do stuff like this all the time Lois, it’s not new. Clark will be mad Oliver will be mad, but they’ll get over it. We’re grown woman and we love doing stuff like this,” She said while grinning slightly.

“I miss you and the trouble we get in,” She teased. “I know I’ve been really busy lately and spending a lot of time with Oliver, but this was nice. Plus we’ve got a ton of helpful information that I think is going to go a long way.” She told her.

“I hope so, cuz because I am sick and tired of seeing Lex’s smug face every day,” Lois said. She missed working for a real newspaper and writing stories that actually mattered. But more than that, she was tired of looking over her shoulder or worrying about Chloe or Clark. Her stomach tightened when she remembered the book that was in her purse. It worried her that Lex might be closer to finding out the truth about Clark than they’d originally thought. They couldn’t let that happen.

“For the record, I miss you too, cuz,” Lois said. She leaned over and gave Chloe a hug. “Once Oliver calms down, thank him for saving our asses. Not that we couldn’t have gotten out of it on our own,” she added. They’d gotten out of some tight spots before but that one had been a little too close for her liking. She moved back into her seat and unbuckled her seatbelt. “All right, you drive carefully and call me if you find anything in that stuff that we can actually use. I’ll talk to Clark once he stops lecturing and find out what the deal is with this book.

Chloe smiled and waved at her cousin. “Will do,” She said as she watched Lois make her way into the farm. She sat there for a minute and swallowed hard as she put the car in reverse and back up. The farther Chloe got from the farm the larger the ball of anxiety in her stomach got. She straightened her back and shook her head as she turned onto the main road. There was nothing to be worried about, Oliver would be angry, but he’d understand…He had to.


	18. Chapter 18

Oliver sat on the couch staring blankly at the wall in front of him. There was an untouched glass of scotch on the table along with his cell phone and the laptop he had brought over from the desk in case there were any other problems. He’d watched Chloe and Lois leave the mansion and once they’d driven away, he’d called Victor a third time and asked him to take care of all the security footage.

There wasn’t anything they could do about the guard the women had knocked unconscious but Oliver hoped he hadn’t gotten a good enough look at either one of them to prove anything. Not that he thought Lex would press charges; that wasn’t his style. He would know right away which two women broke into his house and it would be just one more thing for Lex to hold against Chloe.

Sighing, Oliver leaned forward and glanced at the time on his phone. It had been almost three hours since he’d first heard the alarms on the computer. He assumed Chloe would be back any minute but Oliver knew that might be a big assumption considering how little he actually knew about Chloe. His chest tightened and he reached for the scotch.

Oliver swallowed the entire thing and leaned back on the couch. He’d had a lot of time to think and he really didn’t like the conclusions that he’d come to. The sound of the elevator doors opening had his whole body tensing, but Oliver remained where he was, his eyes still focused on the wall.

Chloe stood in the elevator glancing at the numbers as they lit up one by one. She clutched her bag full of information to her side, stood at the back of the elevator and waited. Normally she wouldn't be worried, but since Oliver or Victor had locked her out of the system at the moment she assumed he wasn't exactly happy with her late night activities. She probably should have just told him what she and Lois were up to, but the truth was she knew if she did that he'd insist on coming or being a part of things or worse telling her not to do it at all.

Chloe was tired of sitting around while Lex hurt the people she cared about. She was used to him going after her, but Lois? Tess? What was next Oliver, Hal the coffee vendor from down the street? Where does it end? She was tired of sitting on her ass researching waiting for information to come to her when she and Lois had been breaking into  Lex's lab's, office, and home for years. It just seemed like the next reasonable option and she hadn't wanted to involve Oliver because she knew he was already dealing with so much.

Chloe had been planning on telling him when she got home and gave him the stuff she found, but apparently that plan was shot to hell since he already knew. She sighed and when the elevator finally chimed her body tensed slightly and she made her way into the penthouse. She frowned at the lack of light as she moved down the small hallway. She glanced around and found him in the living room.

He heard her heels clicking along the floor and knew the second she was in the room. Oliver’s jaw clenched and the tension between his shoulders was nearly unbearable as he turned to meet her eyes as she walked toward him. “Busy night?” he asked. He spoke quietly, emotionlessly like he was talking to one of his random business associates instead of the woman he was in love with. His gut twisted at that, but Oliver ignored it and waited for Chloe to say something, anything.

Chloe paused at his tone and the anxiety in her stomach was back in full force. She pushed herself forward and dropped her bag onto the coffee table. She swallowed hard tension coursing through her body as she watched him taking note of his ridged body and clenched jaw. “I’ve had busier...Thank you for your help.” She said quietly.

“You’re welcome,” Oliver replied easily. “Hal stopped by earlier. You should sit down,” he added, gesturing to the chair. Even as he told her to sit, he got up from the couch, needing to move. He picked up his empty glass and carried it to the bar. He refilled it and took a long sip before making his way back toward Chloe.

“Hal and Tess ran into Lex while they were out having dinner. I guess he made some threats; the usual song and dance number. That’s actually a guess on my part because Hal didn’t really get into specifics. He was too busy telling me that I needed to keep my girlfriend away from Tess until this whole thing is over. You can imagine my reaction to that.” He paused, waiting to see if Chloe had anything to say on the subject as he took another drink.

Chloe didn’t sit. Instead her eyes followed his movements and her chest tightened. Something was very wrong. He wasn’t yelling and normally one would think that was a good sign, but in this case it meant the opposite. Her heart clenched at his words as that familiar guilt filled her chest. She wasn’t really surprised that Hal didn’t want her near Tess. Any progress they had made since he screamed at her in the hallway at the office was wiped clean the second Tess was attacked.

And honestly she couldn’t blame him. This was her fault she knew that, it was part of the reason she’d wanted to snoop around Lex’s tonight with Lois. She figured if they could find some information that helped then maybe they could end this whole thing a little sooner and Tess and Lois would be safe. It would be a bonus if Hal didn’t hate her anymore either, which apparently Lex had made worse if Hal didn’t even want her around anymore.

Chloe attempted to keep the hurt off her face as she nodded in acceptance. Honestly she was surprised he hadn’t done it sooner. “What did Tess say?” She asked him softly.       

“I don’t think Hal actually ran this by Tess,” Oliver said. He shrugged and took another sip of his drink. “I think he wanted me to run interference so he wouldn’t have to tell her anything. I told him that I wasn’t going to do that. I asked him again to give you a chance and to at least trust my judgment if he couldn’t trust yours.” He rolled his eyes and finished the drink, barely resisting the urge to slam the empty glass against the wall. Instead, he set it down on the table and took a seat on the couch once again.

“I told him to leave, Chloe. I told my best friend who is practically the only family I have to leave because I was tired of him disrespecting my girlfriend and not trusting me. Do you know how hard that was for me?” Oliver asked. He met her gaze for a minute and let the mask slip away. He wanted her to see that he was upset; he wanted her to see how much this was tearing him up inside. He was tired of hiding it.

Chloe swallowed heavily her throat closing up slightly at the look on his face. She didn’t know what to say. She shook her head attempting to keep her voice steady as her heartbeat picked up speed. “I don’t, but I imagine it wasn’t easy.” She said before pausing for a minute and meeting his eye. “I thought we were going to let the Hal situation be Oliver. I know he’s your best friend…and I’ve been trying, but I thought we agreed to let him have his opinions and hope they would change when we caught Lex.” She said hesitantly.

She didn’t want him to think that she didn’t appreciate his efforts because they meant more to her then she could explain. But she didn’t want to be the person that came between them. Yet another thing she failed at apparently. Guilt filled her eyes at the pain in Oliver’s face. She never wanted any of this to happen, but she wasn’t really sure what that had to do with what happened tonight. “I’m so sorry that you guys are fighting…I know how much Hal means to you,” She told him quietly.

Oliver nodded. He knew she was sorry; he knew she felt guilty and blamed herself for the tension between him and Hal. “It’s not your fault, Chloe.” He held up his hand when she opened her mouth. “I know what you’re going to say, but it’s not your fault. This is _my_ fault,” he said quietly.

“Hal’s been telling me for weeks that I’ve been blind when it comes to you and I’ve ignored him. I knew what I was doing and I knew that it wasn’t a mistake to trust you. It’s almost funny when you think about it. Hal probably wasn’t even in his apartment yet when the computer beeped to let me know what was going on at the mansion. It’s really too bad I sent him away because I’m sure he would have relished in the ‘I told you so.’”

Chloe’s body immediately tensed as she crossed her arms over her chest pushing the guilt aside at his words.  “Wait a minute, excuse me?” She said as she gave him an incredulous look. “What is that supposed to mean?” She asked sharply as she pushed down the voice in the back of her head telling her to keep her cool and think before she spoke.

He wasn’t sure if he should be offended or amused that she had the nerve to act outraged like she was somehow the injured party in all this. Then again, Oliver figured he shouldn’t be surprised about anything she did anymore. It wasn’t like he could actually be more wrong than he’d already been. “Hal was right,” he said flatly. His tone was emotionless once again as he met Chloe’s eyes. “I let my feelings for you cloud my judgment. I trusted you unconditionally and I _defended_ you. I told Hal over and over again that we were all on the same side and we’re a team and all the other righteous bullshit that I threw his way.”

Oliver got up from the couch, feeling the need to pace the room again. The need to get angry and break stuff was also creeping up on him, but he forced himself to control it. He’d been following his emotions for too long and that was why they were in this mess. “Chloe, do you even understand what the word team means? Or standard protocol or communication? Or were you too busy playing super sleuth to give a damn about anyone but yourself?” he asked sharply, anger slipping into his voice.

She blinked and pushed back the hurt that burned in her chest. She knew he would be angry but she hadn’t expected this level of anger. Not even Clark got this mad when she and Lois went around investigating things. Chloe was completely thrown by what he was saying. She took a deep breath attempting to control the anger that was starting to build in her knowing that they couldn’t both be angry, someone needed to be the voice of reason and it obviously wasn’t him.

“How does Lois and I breaking into Lex’s mansion all of a sudden deem me untrustworthy? And yes Oliver I know what a team is and what communication is, but this wasn’t a team mission. I don’t’ need to report every single thing I do to you. This was something I decided to do with Lois that I planned on telling you about when I got home. This had nothing to do with the team.” She told him, her tone clipped.

“Bullshit, Chloe,” Oliver snapped. He glared at her as he fought to control his temper. He knew that if he just stood there and yelled at her, she was going to get defensive and completely miss the point he was trying to make. She already had. “I came to you and offered you a job and a spot on the team so that we could work _together_. Do you think Victor has secret missions with his cousin? Or Bart or Hal or me?” he asked. He couldn’t believe she was acting like this didn’t concern him at all or that it was none of his business that she had decided to break into Lex’s house without any backup aside from Lois. Not that either of them would have had much luck if the guards had shot them both on sight.

“Secret mission? Where are you getting this crap?” She said, her voice loud as she glared at the man in front of her. Chloe didn’t know why he was being so difficult. If she had known being a part of his team meant she was never able to do anything on her own again then maybe she would have reconsidered her answer. She figured he might be mad because she omitted the truth and didn’t tell him why they went to Metropolis, but she had no idea he would react like she had betrayed him somehow.

The way he was looking at her made her sick to her stomach, but she pushed it aside and took a deep breath pursing her lips as she tried to calm down. “I admit I should have mentioned what Lois and I were doing in Smallville, but I figured you’d make some huge deal out of it and want to come, but that isn’t how Lois and I do things. So I figured we’d go and then I’d come back here and show you the stuff we got from Lex’s place and we could go over it together,” She told him. “But clearly,” She said pointedly, “That was a mistake.”

“That’s not how you and Lois do things,” Oliver repeated. “That’s the problem, Chloe,” he said. “This isn’t just about you and Lois. There’s a whole team of people who put their lives on the line every day to go up against Lex and people like him. I have to look out for all of them and I haven’t been doing that. Hal tried to tell me but I didn’t see it. I didn’t see a lot of things that I should have.” The anger drained out of him and he just looked at her for a moment, wondering how he had missed what was right in front of his face.

“You don’t trust me. Maybe you do on some level,” he corrected himself before she had a chance to say anything. “But ultimately, you don’t. What did you think I was going to do if you told me? Tell you that you couldn’t go or suggest that you take back-up other than Lois?” He saw something in her eyes and realized that was exactly what she’d thought.

Oliver shook his head and tried to ignore what felt like a knife twisting in his chest. “I know this is a dangerous business we’re involved in and if I didn’t think you were capable of handling yourself, I never would have offered you a job in the first place. Maybe I would have insisted on going with you or at least gave you a com and had Victor monitor the security feeds. Do you think I would ever walk into a 33.1 lab by myself or even with Hal without an eye in the sky? There’s nothing wrong with asking someone to have you back, Chloe, especially someone you trust which brings me back to my point. If you trusted me, you would have told me what you were planning. But you didn’t because you don’t,” he said.

He looked away from her as he tried to steel his expression. Oliver didn’t want her to know how much she had hurt him. He didn’t want her to know that he loved her so much that he just wanted to shake her and beg her to love him back and trust him. She obviously didn’t want that and he’d been fooling himself all this time into thinking that she had. He should have listened to Hal. If he had, Tess never would have come forward and they wouldn’t be in this situation.

Chloe stared at him his words cutting deep as tears prickled at the corner of her eyes, but she ignored them. “I’m not you Oliver,” Her voice was slightly shaky but she held it together as she clenched her fists at her sides. “I wasn’t walking into one of Lex’s facilities I was going into his home, a place that I’ve been breaking into since long before I knew _you_.” She said sharply. “I’m sick and tired of you comparing how you do things with the team and how I do things.” She told him as she swallowed hard.

“No one told you not to look out for everyone else. I didn’t involve anyone; the only person I put at risk is myself and guess what Oliver, that’s _my_ decision. You don’t give me a play by play when you go out patrolling with Hal or when you run off at a minutes’ notice with the team. You think I don’t worry when you’re out there with Hal doing your thing? But do I ever say anything? No because it’s part of who you are and I respect that.” She said while motioning around the room.

“This is part of who I am. How do you think Clark stopped the experiments Lex was doing in Smallville over the years or even here in Metropolis before you got here? What did the magic intel fairy drop notes on Clark’s desk? No I went in and I got them. You hired me because of what I can find and what I can do…did you suddenly think that my entire personality was going to change because we’re together?” She asked. “I thought you understood…so what I went with Lois and I didn’t say anything. You’re making it a bigger deal then it is,” She told him.

Chloe could feel her throat close slightly at the rest of his words and her heart felt like it was breaking. “And how dare you say I don’t trust you. I have been more honest and more open with you then I ever have with anyone in my entire life,” She shouted. “You have no idea how hard it for me to open up to people. I told you about my family…I told you about _me_ ,” She said her eyes glassy, “I’ve been staying here because you asked me to, because you said it would make you feel better…how many people do you think I would have done that for?” She asked and when he kept his back to her and said nothing she glared.

“I’ll tell you _none_.” She said harshly. “I didn’t realize that joining your team meant I could never do anything on my own, that I had to run every decision by you. But thanks for the update boss, I’ll make sure I do that from now on,” She said sarcastically as she tried not to let the tears fall. Chloe felt like she couldn’t breathe.

She knew she should have told him…but she honestly hadn’t expected things to be like this. If she thought for even a second that he’d react like this she would have told him exactly what she and Lois were planning. Maybe it wasn’t about that at all. Maybe he was just looking for an excuse to break things off and she had just given him one.

“You’re right, Chloe, I’m the bad guy because I expected you to act like a team player instead of a selfish brat,” Oliver snapped. He seriously didn’t know what it was going to take to get through her thick skull. “Do you have any idea how immature you sound right now? You’re one step away from stomping your feet like I caught you with your hand in the cookie jar. Tell me something, what would have happened if I hadn’t been near the computer?” he asked.

“What would you have done when four of Lex’s security guards burst in and shot you and Lois? They wouldn’t have hesitated, Chloe, and Lex would have made himself out to be the victim. The poor, misunderstood billionaire who was being stalked by his employees,” he said. “The headlines practically write themselves.”

Oliver shook his head and walked back over to the bar. He didn’t bother with a glass this time and just drank straight from the bottle. “I never asked you to change, Chloe; all I asked was that you be honest with me. I know it was hard for you to tell me about your family and what Lex did to you and everything else just like it was hard for me to tell you about my parents and my problems with Hal.” He laughed humorlessly and took another sip, letting the alcohol burn his dry throat.

She stared at him for a full minute before swallowing the lump in her throat. It was hard to keep hold of her anger when his words hurt as much as they did, but she wasn’t about to cry and beg him to forgive her for whatever it was he thought she did wrong. “You need to stop putting words into my mouth. I never called you the bad guy and if Lois and I would have gotten caught we would have gotten out of it like we always do.” She said her voice hard.

“You know what; you don’t even care what my reasons for going there with Lois were without saying anything. You’ve already made up your mind about me being a loose cannon and going off on my own. And apparently nothing I say is going to change that.” She said as her chest tightened. “If I thought you were going to get this bent out of shape I would have told you before we went, but you know what. You don’t need to worry about dealing with this selfish brat anymore.”

She moved to the coffee table and pulled all the papers and pictures out of her bag and tossed them across the room. The folders slammed into the wall near Oliver. “In case you were wondering we might have found several things that can tie Lex to the black market trades. Do what you want with it, and I’ll do what I always do, handle things myself. I should have never gotten other people involved in the first place, _that_ was selfish of me. But don’t worry I’ve learned from my mistakes,” She said as she hastily wiped a tear away before he could see it.

“Yes, Chloe, it’s all about you,” Oliver said. He scowled at the mess of papers and photographs that fell around him. Sighing, he set down the bottle but left the mess on the floor. He couldn’t deal with it right now. “I’m sure this is the part where you’re getting ready to storm out and tell me that this whole thing was a mistake and you never should have agreed to work for me or get involved with me, but let me save you the trouble.” His heart clenched when he met her eyes and saw the tears she was trying to hide from him, but Oliver was too angry to let himself feel anything except the numbness that was slowly taking over. He welcomed it, knowing it would be a reprieve from the hell that he was feeling at the moment.

“I have to go to New York and handle the problem with Scott. I was going to leave in the morning, but you know what they say, no time like the present,” Oliver said sarcastically. He’d been planning on asking Chloe to go with him; he’d wanted both of them to get away from Metropolis and Lex and everything else for a few days but that wasn’t going to happen now. “You can stay here if you want or you can leave. Obviously that’s up to you since you don’t want me to have any say what-so-ever in your life.” He grabbed his cell phone and laptop from the table and walked to the closet to get his jacket. He figured he could call the pilot from the car.

Chloe’s chest tightened as she watched him getting his stuff together. She couldn’t believe this was happening, all because she and Lois did a little recon on their own? It didn’t make any sense. She swallowed the lump in her throat and called out. “Actually, that’s not what I was going to say. I shouldn’t have brought this information to Tess, but I don’t regret meeting you and I don’t think our relationship is a mistake,” She told him her breath hitching on the last word. “But it’s good to know where your head is.”

She said as she turned towards the stairs and fought the tears that were threatening to fall. “Don’t worry, I’ll be packed and gone by the time you get back,” She told him as she started heading up the stairs.

Oliver closed his eyes and leaned his head against the closet door. He was tempted to slam against it repeatedly because he really didn’t think there was anything else he could do to make the situation worse. He wanted to go after her and tell her that he was sorry and he didn’t want her to leave, but he couldn’t get Hal’s voice out of his head.

He had put Chloe above everyone else and then she had gone behind his back and she didn’t seem to care. She kept telling him that he was making too much of this. Maybe he was; maybe he couldn’t see things clearly anymore. He couldn’t even ask anyone for help because the two people who mattered most to him were angry with him.

He walked back over to his desk and set down the phone and the computer and picked up the framed photo of him and his parents. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” Oliver said quietly. “I feel like I’m letting everyone down and I don’t know how to fix it.” He swallowed hard to try and dislodge the giant lump in his throat.

Oliver knew it he left that Chloe wouldn’t be there when he got back. He was angry at her; mainly because she couldn’t seem to understand why she had hurt him so much, but even after everything they had said to one another tonight, he didn’t want to lose her. He set the picture down and slowly made his way up the stairs. Oliver didn’t know what he was supposed to say or even what he wanted to say, but he couldn’t walk away.

She had her back to him when he walked into the bedroom and Oliver stood in the doorway for a moment, trying to find the words to express everything he was feeling. Nothing seemed right or sounded good in his head. Frustrated, he just blurted out the truth. “You mean everything to me,” he said.

Chloe paused, drawer open and turned to face him no longer hiding her tears. She watched him for a second. “And you mean everything to me. So, why are you making this such a big deal? I don’t understand Oliver,” She said frustration on her face. “I don’t know why you’re angry. I mean I knew you’d be upset that I didn’t tell you before I went, but I didn’t know it would be like this...Do you honestly think I’d jeopardize everything we’ve built these past few months just to break into the mansion and steal some things from Lex?” She asked him.

“This is what I do. This isn’t me slapping you in the face or going behind your back. I trust you to go out on your missions and your patrols and I don’t tell you what to do or ask you to lay it out for me step by step. I trust you to go out and to what you need to do and bring back information we can use to take down Lex. I don’t question your methods, because I trust you...” She shrugged a slightly lost look on her face.

“I just thought you trusted me too. I thought we were a team. I thought I’d bring this information back you’d be a little pissed that I didn’t tell you and then we’d get past it. I thought the stuff Lois and I found would make you less stressed and help us stop Lex sooner so Hal would stop fighting with you and Tess would be safe. I didn’t do this hurt you...I did it to help and I just don’t understand why that makes me selfish or some kind of horrible person. Things have been going nowhere and lately I feel like all I do is cause problems for everyone so I wanted to do something to help instead...I didn’t know  you would be this angry with me.” She said as a few tears slipped from her cheeks.

Oliver wanted to go to her and comfort her, but he couldn’t, not yet. He walked to the bed instead and took a seat on the edge so he was facing her as she stood by the dresser. “Chloe, don’t you see? You said it yourself; you knew I’d be mad and you did it anyway. If we were really a team, the way we’re supposed to be, you would have told me.” His tone was quiet and he was careful to keep himself from sounding accusatory.

He wasn’t trying to start a new fight or even rehash the one they were already in the middle of. He just wanted her to see where he was coming from. “I might not tell you every little thing that happens when I’m on patrol, but you know I’m out there. You know you can get in touch with me through the com or track my movements on the satellite program. From the moment I told you my identity and the team’s identities, I have never hidden anything from you. It hurts me that you felt the need to hide this from me.”

She nodded and leaned against the dresser glancing down as her heart clenched. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you. I didn’t come to you beforehand because I know you Oliver, you would have wanted to be involved and as much as I love you need to protect me, I don’t need my own personal super hero. I need someone who knows I can handle myself.” She said quietly and held up a hand before he could say anything. “But that’s not an excuse for lying to you. I shouldn’t have done that period and I apologize.” She told him quietly before wiping her eye.

“I do know you can handle yourself, Chloe and I wasn’t trying to be your personal hero or anyone else’s for that matter. But I still don’t understand where you’re coming from with this. Why are you so against me being involved? You said it’s not a trust issue, but that’s what it feels like,” Oliver said.

“If you need more space or boundaries or whatever, you should have told me. And I honestly don’t care if you’ve been breaking into Lex’s house since you were in high school, that doesn’t mean that you can pick and choose when you want to be part of the team based on if it’s convenient for you that day. If Victor or Bart had gone behind my back and did what you did…”

His voice trailed off and he rubbed his hand over his neck. Oliver wasn’t even sure what he would do in that scenario. “Look, Chloe, it’s one thing for you to want to be independent and do your own thing or run your own investigations but the whole point of a team is for people to work together. You’re not supposed to have separate rules for yourself and everyone else.”

She pursed her lips and sighed. “There you go again with the behind your back. When someone does something behind your back they don’t intend for you to find out about it. I was coming back here to share my information with you. That isn’t behind your back. And I didn’t realize it was an all or nothing thing Oliver. I wasn’t on the clock. This was my personal time. I didn’t know that being on the team meant I couldn’t go with my cousin to look into something I thought would help. If that’s the case maybe you should have specified that.” She told him quietly.

“This isn’t a normal job, Chloe. I thought you knew that,” Oliver said. He pinched the bridge of his nose hard to try to ward off the tension headache that was threatening to overpower him. It wasn’t even that late and suddenly all he wanted to do was sleep. “Obviously, we’re not going to see eye to eye on this so maybe we should just let it go.” He really didn’t want to fight with her anymore and as much as he hated sweeping things under the rug, Oliver didn’t know what else to say.

She shook her head. “Why so it can fester like everything else does? No Oliver. I think maybe it’s time to reevaluate things.” She told him quietly. “Maybe as far as the team goes, I shouldn’t be on it full time or at all until this Lex this is over.” She said while letting out a long breath. “I don’t want to upset you, but I can’t promise you that if I have another chance to grab some information from Lex that might help us that I won’t do it and I don’t want to lie to you about it,” She said softly.

“But I also don’t want to feel like I’m being forced to check in with everything I do. I’m used to running around at a moment’s notice hacking into security systems and breaking into buildings with Lois…there’s got to be some kind of compromise.” She said trying once again to make him understand.

“If this was something you asked me to do or something that was directly team related I would never just bull doze in without telling you. But it wasn’t. You have every right to be angry with me because I lied and I’m sorry for that, but for the sake of us being honest with each other, I feel like you’re overreacting with the other stuff. I’m not trying to have different rules for myself. But I know for a fact that there are team members who have side projects and run their own missions and I’m trying to figure out why this is so different, but you obviously think it is and I respect that, I just don’t understand it.” She told him quietly.

“Because it’s Lex,” Oliver replied. He stood up and walked over to Chloe, watching her for a moment before he finally closed the distance between them and brushed the tears from her cheeks. “Lex isn’t like the other bad guys we deal with, Chloe, he’s worse. The guys might run projects on their own, but when it comes to Lex, we face him as a team.” Oliver hesitated, not sure if he should say what he was thinking. But he knew Chloe was right and things were only going to fester and get out of control if they weren’t honest with each other.

“Hal told me that one of the things Lex said to him tonight was that he knew you were behind all of this. He knew you were the one who told Tess who she was and convinced all of us to come here. Chloe, I’ve never blamed you for any of this and I still don’t even though I know you blame yourself for getting Tess involved. But now Lex is going to know that you broke into his house and that’s bad for you, but it’s bad for the rest of us too. Do you get what I’m saying? It might seem like you’re doing what you’ve always done, but the consequences effect everyone, Chloe.”

Oliver brushed her hair back from her face, letting his hands rest on her cheeks. “I don’t want you to take a step back from the team. You’re an asset to us and nothing anyone says is going to make me think otherwise. But I need you to realize that this isn’t about just you or you and Lois or even Clark anymore.”

She leaned into his touch as she met his eyes. “This is personal for me Oliver. I don’t need you to tell me how bad Lex is. I have firsthand knowledge of what he is capable of,” She said her chest tightening. “I’m not surprised that Lex thinks that and you shouldn’t be either. But I get what you’re saying.” She paused for a minute, tilting her head to the side before speaking. “How about this, the next time I feel the need to partake in a little B and E I give you a heads up before I do anything…will that make you feel better?” She asked and hesitated a second before gripping his sides lightly.

“It’ll help,” Oliver agreed. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against his chest. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t want to fight with you, Chloe and I wasn’t trying to upset you.” Oliver wasn’t really sure they’d resolved anything, but if Chloe was promising to be honest with him, that was going to have to be good enough for now. He still didn’t know what to do about Hal or if his best friend was right about him losing perspective because of Chloe. He couldn’t think about it right now. Oliver held Chloe tighter and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Are you okay?” he asked quietly, realizing he should have set aside some of his anger and asked her that question sooner. “I saw the fight you and Lois got into with the guard.”

She rested her head against his chest, her hands holding him to her tightly knowing that things weren’t resolved and not sure if that was a god thing or a bad thing, but he was holding her and not yelling anymore, so that was a plus she supposed. Chloe nodded. “I’m fine,” She said lightly. “One guard isn’t a big deal,” She told him. “I’m sorry you and Hal are fighting again.”

“Me too,” Oliver said. He pulled back a little so he could see her face. “Did you eat anything? I ordered some food earlier from the Italian place.” The delivery had come a few minutes after Oliver had seen Chloe and Lois leaving Lex’s and food had been the last thing on his mind. He’d had enough sense to put it in the refrigerator before he’d started brooding on the couch.

She shook her head. “No, but I’m not very hungry, but if you are I can sit with you while you eat,” She said while running a hand up and down his chest some of the tension finally leaving her body. She was tired and the day was finally catching up with her. Chloe just wanted to try and relax, especially after the fight they just had. Her emotions were still all over the place and the thought that she might lose him still in the forefront of her mind. “Is there anything I can do to help with the Hal situation?” She asked him softly.

“I’m not hungry either,” Oliver said. He took her hand and pulled her back toward the bed. Ignoring the fact that they were both fully dressed, Oliver lay back against the pillows and held Chloe in his arms. He didn’t want to let her go. “I appreciate the thought, but Hal needs time to cool off and I’m not really ready to apologize to him either.” Oliver still wasn’t sure whether or not one or both of them was completely wrong or if they were both right but needed to meet in the middle somewhere.

He was too tired to think about it. He stroked his hand through Chloe’s hair. “I do need to go to New York in the morning. It won’t be a long trip. I’ll be back tomorrow night or the next day. I need you to keep things running smoothly at the office since I don’t think Tess will be there.”

Chloe nodded as she pressed her body against his side and placed a light kiss to his chest. “I can do that.” She told him quietly, slightly surprised that he’d want her to after the fight they just had. She wasn’t exactly sure where there stood. Chloe hated that fact that she was filled with uncertainty and that she’d almost ruined the best thing that’s ever happened to her. She wasn’t exactly sure how everything spiraled out of control, but she was going to do her best to make sure that it didn’t happen again because she didn’t want to lose the man she loved.

“Thank you,” Oliver said. He closed his eyes and held her tighter to the point where he wondered for a moment if he was hurting her. If he was, she wasn’t saying anything. Oliver wasn’t sure where they went from here or if things were better or worse than they were before she’d broken into Lex’s house.

All he knew was that he loved her and he wasn’t sure he could live without her. Oliver didn’t want to find out either which meant they had to find a way to stop Lex. He didn’t want to get into things again, but Lex had to know by now that Chloe and Lois had broken into his house and he was probably trying to figure out what they had taken. Oliver hoped Chloe was right and there was something in there that they could use against him.

 

______

 

“Hal, have you seen my…” Tess’s voice trailed off when she walked into the living room and saw her boyfriend sleeping on the couch. She picked up the blanket she had left on the chair earlier and covered him with it and then reached for the remote to mute the football game that was playing on the TV. She knew he had to be exhausted because she had felt him tossing and turning most of the night as she tried to sleep beside him.

Tess wasn’t sure what was bothering him more, the confrontation they’d had with Lex or whatever had happened when he’d gone upstairs to talk to Oliver. He had come back angrier than she’d seen him in a long time but he’d insisted he didn’t want to talk about it. That had been almost twenty-four hours ago and he was still in a bad mood even though he refused to tell her why.  
      
Tess was tired of being kept in the dark. She knew if Hal wasn’t going to tell her, there was someone else she could get it out of. Tess went back into her office, grabbed a piece of paper and scrawled a quick note letting Hal know she was upstairs in case he woke up. She placed it on the table underneath the remote control and quietly made her way to the elevator.

She knew if he woke up before she left, he’d attempt to stop her and he still wouldn’t tell her what was going on. The doors opened and Tess stepped inside the car, pushing the button for the penthouse as she watched Hal sleeping. She let out a quiet sigh as the doors slid shut.

She had to assume that Hal had gone to talk to Oliver about Lex and hadn’t liked what Oliver had to say. She really hoped Hal hadn’t told Oliver what Lex had said about Chloe but she wouldn’t be surprised if he had. Hal had blamed Chloe before Lex had spouted off at them and Tess could see why that might have caused problems between Hal and Oliver.

But what was even odder than that was the fact that Tess hadn’t heard from Oliver all day. Even when she was working from home, the two of them were usually in constant communication. She wondered if something else had happened. The doors opened again and Tess strode into the penthouse.

“Oliver, where are you? We need to talk,” she called.

Chloe was sitting in the living room laptop open the information she and Lois had taken from Lex’s spread out around her on the coffee table. It was late and it had been a long day at the office. As expected, nothing went wrong and the day went by like any other day except for the fact that Oliver wasn’t around. She tried not to think about how she hadn’t heard from him all day or how every time she looked around the empty apartment it felt cold and unwelcoming.

Her chest tightened slightly and she attempted to push her thoughts aside and focus on the information in front of her. She heard the elevator and was slightly surprised to hear Tess’s voice. She figured Hal had been distracting the red head so she didn’t come anywhere near her. She swallowed hard in an attempt to moisten her throat, which she’d barely used all day. “Oliver isn’t here.” She called out quietly before lifting the large mug of coffee to her lips. It was pretty much the only thing she’d had all day, her stomach was too upset to eat anything.

She reached forward and moved the newspaper with several red circles around it to the side as she spoke again. “I’m sure if you need to talk you can just give him a call.” She said as Tess moved towards the living room.

“Is he still at the office?” Tess asked as she walked into the living room and took a seat in the leather chair across from Chloe. She could see the other woman was busy and she wondered if there was something going on that they were keeping from her. She was going to be furious if that was the case. It was bad enough that she was working from her apartment like she was under house arrest but she was still a company vice president and if there was a problem, she wanted to know about it. “What’s going on?” she asked. Her voice came out sharper than she’d intended. Tess knew it wasn’t Chloe’s fault that she wasn’t up to speed on things.

She started to apologize, but Tess stopped when she got a good look at Chloe. She looked tired, but it was more than that. She was obviously upset about something and Tess could tell her sharp tone hadn’t helped the situation. Tess glanced at the documents on the coffee table and she could see that they weren’t work related; at least not Queen Industries work. Tess turned back to Chloe. “Are you okay?” she asked uncertainly.

Chloe shrugged. “I guess that depends what your definition of okay is. I’m alive so that’s always a good thing,” She said before watching Tess for a minute. “Oliver isn’t here as in he’s no longer in this state. He went to New York for business.” She told her before glancing back at the table. “And nothing is going on…just the normal stuff. I’m looking for something to tie Lex to the black market, which is what I normally do.” She said quietly while taking another sip of coffee to calm her nerves down.

She knew Tess hadn’t meant to snap, but it just proved a point to herself that she did not belong here. She needed to find her own place so she could stop relying so much on Oliver. It wasn’t good for her and it wasn’t good for their relationship. But who knew what was going on with that now. Everything was all screwed up and she couldn’t focus the way she should be. It felt like everything was closing in around her. She swallowed heavily before glancing back up at Tess and pushing her feelings aside. “How are you? I heard you and Hal had a not so pleasant run in with Lex yesterday.”

“He was his usual charming self,” Tess said. She could tell there was a lot more going on than Chloe was admitting to but she wasn’t sure she knew the woman well enough to get pushy with her. Tess was surprised to hear that Oliver had made the trip to New York alone. She knew Scott had to be dealt with but she was confused as to why he didn’t bring Chloe with him. Tess wondered if that was part of the tension. She figured she was going to have to ease her way into the conversation so Chloe didn’t just shut down or tell her that it wasn’t any of her business.

“Lex made threats against me and against you and he tried to get a rise out of Hal but luckily I was able to keep him calm. You can imagine what the press would do if Hal had punched Lex on a street corner.” Tess made a face as she leaned back in the chair. “But something happened after that and that’s what I wanted to talk to Oliver about since all Hal will do is brood and glare at the wall in between telling me that he’s fine which he’s clearly not. I came home here hoping I could twist Oliver’s arm until he told me.” Tess arched an eyebrow in Chloe’s direction. “Any chance you have some idea?” she asked.

Chloe studied Tess for a minute not sure what to say. She had no problem telling her what happened and what Oliver and Hal were arguing about, but she wasn’t sure if it would cause more trouble or not and the last thing she wanted was for Oliver to be even angrier at her. She hated feeling lost and uncertain and now after everything that happened last night she didn’t know where she stood with Oliver and what was her business and what wasn’t. Chloe hesitated and bit her lower lip. “They fought about what Lex said. And Hal thinks maybe it’s a good idea if we don’t hang out so much since Lex has such a hard on for attempting to kill me, which you know is fine.” She said quickly. “I’ve already put you in enough danger.” She told her before taking a breath and continuing.

“So they argued about that and even though we agreed we’d let Hal have his opinion of me and that was fine I understand, you know how Oliver is with his need to defend the people he cares about,” She said, even though she apparently she didn’t deserve his defending. The thought made her eyes tear up and she stood quickly and looked away from Tess. “You know there’s a lot of stuff I need to go through and I really don’t want to make Hal any angrier by having you up here. I’ve caused enough trouble,” she said as she grabbed her mug and started making her way towards the kitchen to refill it and pull herself together.

The last thing she needed was for Tess to tell Oliver she’d spent the night crying because of him. Then he’d feel guilty, which wasn’t fair because he was angry at her even though she still didn’t think what she did was wrong. Clark had probably already let Lois off the hook for what happened…She shook her head and let out a long sigh.

Tess stayed where she was for a few minutes, trying to process everything Chloe had just said. She wasn’t surprised to hear why Hal and Oliver were fighting. They were both too stubborn to attempt to see eye to eye on this particular issue. She could understand why Chloe was upset and feeling guilty but Tess still didn’t think she was getting the full story.

Chloe looked like she was about to burst into tears at any second and her abrupt retreat from the room suggested that there was something she didn’t want to talk about. Tess pushed herself out of the chair and made her way into the kitchen. Chloe stood near the counter with her back to the doorway and Tess could see the tension she carried in her body. Something was very wrong.

“First, I can handle Hal. He means well but all of this is too much for him. He didn’t want to go along with this plan and I forced him into it and now he’s suffering. That’s on me,” Tess said. She knew Chloe was only going to blame herself and she didn’t want to hear it. They were all adults and had to live with the choices they made.

“Second, you can’t feel bad that Oliver defended you. I know you feel like you’re in the middle of their friendship but they’ll get over it. Believe me, there is nothing those two can’t get past. They’re just being stubborn.” Chloe was still facing away from her and Tess took a seat at the island, folding her hands in front of her.

“Now why don’t you sit down and tell me what else is going on because it’s obvious you’re upset and I’m past the point of caring whether or not it’s my business. You’re my friend, Chloe and that’s not going to change. Tell me what happened,” she said.

Chloe’s chest tightened and a tear slipped from her eye. She brushed it away quickly and turned slowly to face Tess. She hesitated for a second before moving forward and standing across from the red head. She was quiet for a few minutes trying to figure out where to start, but then she stopped trying and took a deep breath. “I made Oliver angry. Last night Lois and I broke into Lex’s mansion. I didn’t tell Oliver,” She told her quietly.

“I figured if I told him before hand he wouldn’t want me to go or he’d insist on coming and I didn’t want to fight with him. So I said I was going to Smallville with Lois. I’ve been breaking into Lex’s mansion, his facilities, warehouses; you name it since I was fifteen years old.” She said as her hands clenched around the mug. “We haven’t been getting anywhere with the information we have and waiting for Lex to make a move and try to hurt you again or hurt Lois…it’s just ridiculous.” She swallowed hard and shrugged.

“So we figured out a good day and we broke in. I was trying to help. I figured I would find something helpful that we can use to speed things up so that you and Lois aren’t in danger and Oliver isn’t so stressed and Hal will stop being angry at Oliver. I feel like all I do is cause trouble,” She told the other woman softly as her eyes teared up, “So I just wanted to do something helpful. I mean I figured Oliver would be upset that I didn’t tell him before hand, but it was more than that…he was furious.”

She glanced up at Tess not able to stop the tears from falling. “He said that Hal was right and he should have listened to him. That obviously I don’t trust him,” Her voice caught in her throat and she raised a hand to cover her mouth for a second as she shook her head. “That’s not true though I do trust him…I trust him more than I’ve ever trusted anyone…I love him, I’m so in love with him and I don’t understand what I did that was so bad and now….”

Chloe paused wiping her tears, but they were just replaced with new ones. “I don’t know where we go from here…This used to be a place I felt welcome and now…I feel like I can’t be myself…I don’t know what to do or where I stand with him and I want to run away and just go back to Smallville, but as terrifying as this all is to me…not having him in my life scares me more.” She said her voice barely a whisper.

Tess’s eyes widened as she listened to Chloe. She could see that this was tearing her up inside and she wished she knew what to say to make her feel better. Tess wasn’t surprised that Chloe was in love with Oliver. She knew he was in love with her too and that was the real reason he was so desperate to get Hal to ease up on her. It wasn’t about the team or the mission or anything else other than the fact that Oliver wanted his best friend to like the woman he was in love with. Tess knew Hal understood that but he was too scared that something was going to happen to her to let himself see past his fear. 

She was confused as to why Oliver was so angry about Chloe and Lois breaking into Lex’s house. Tess could understand why he would be a little put off and he might pout about being left out of the loop, but she couldn’t see him getting mad at Chloe; let alone so mad that Chloe was afraid she was going to lose him. Tess doubted there was anything Chloe could do that would drive Oliver away. She felt like she was still missing a piece of the puzzle. 

Tess tried to figure out what Oliver thought Hal was right about. She knew he wouldn’t suddenly blame Chloe for everything that had happened with Lex. Like Tess, Oliver knew that all of that blame was squarely on Lex’s shoulders. “What did he agree with Hal about?” she asked. “And how did Oliver find out what happened? Did you tell him?” His reaction was still puzzling to her.

Chloe shook her head. “I was going to tell him when I got back to the penthouse with the information so we could go through it together, but while Lois and I were there; we must have tripped a silent alarm. Oliver saw it on the monitors here and set off an alarm on the other side of the house so we could get out,” She told her before her brows furrowed. “And I think he was agreeing with Hal about him being blind when it came to me and how I’m selfish and he put too much faith in me when I didn’t trust him enough to tell him what was going on.” She said quietly.

“You scared him,” Tess said. Things suddenly made a lot more sense now. She could see that Chloe still looked confused and Tess tried to figure out the best way to explain it to her. “Chloe, Oliver is an amazing guy. He’s good at just about everything and he never puts what he wants above what everyone else needs. I get the feeling in the short time that I’ve known you that you’re the same way. You went in to the mansion thinking about the mission and this nightmare we’re all living and how you saw a chance to stop it and I’m sure you didn’t think twice about the risk you were taking or what would have happened if Lex caught you.” She paused for a moment, wanting to make sure Chloe heard everything she was saying.

“Oliver thinks that way too, he has to or he’d never be able to lead the team into the dangerous situations he does. He loves every one of those guys like brothers but that doesn’t come close to comparing to how he feels about you.” Tess’s voice softened as her heart hurt for both of her friends.

“Oliver saw that you were in danger and it made him feel helpless. Put yourself in his situation for a minute and imagine you thought he was fine and he was just out with Hal and then all of a sudden you see him in a life threatening situation and all you can do is watch and hope for the best. There’s nothing scarier than seeing the person you love in danger.” Tess could speak from experience on this one. She’d been witness to a few missions that had taken bad turns and she’d been forced to just wait until Hal walked through the front door again in one piece.

“I’m not going to get into whether or not you should have told him in the first place. That’s between you and Oliver. But the only reason he reacted that way was because he was scared and sometimes it’s easier to be angry than scared. Hal’s becoming quite the expert at it,” Tess said with a sad smile.

Chloe opened and closed her mouth. “But he said…” She stopped mid sentence and thought about Tess’s words. Oliver was always level headed when it came to team business from what she could see and yeah, it was always easier to be angry then scared she understood that, but she was afraid maybe he meant some of the things he’d said…or maybe he meant all of them. She didn’t know. Chloe wasn’t sure of anything anymore and that hurt almost as bad as their fight had.

She let out a short breath and gave Tess half a smile. “I didn’t think of things that way, so thank you,” She told her softly before the smile disappeared. “The problem is, I just don’t know if that makes everything okay.” She said softly. “I think I’ve over stayed my welcome here. Oliver and I are in too close of quarters. We obviously have different opinions on things but we need our own space…I need my own space, a place to work on things my way where I don’t feel like I’m being judged.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know…” She said quietly as shook her head and reached back rubbing her neck. She was tired and worried and she just wanted to fix things between her and Oliver.

“That’s obviously your choice, Chloe, but I guarantee if you leave now Oliver will think it’s because you don’t want to be with him,” Tess said. She wasn’t sure Chloe was actually listening to what she was trying to tell her, but there wasn’t much else Tess could do or say if she didn’t want to hear it. “I’m not saying that he was right and you were wrong or vice versa. I actually think you were both wrong. But that’s just my opinion. You need to ask yourself what you really want, Chloe. If the answer is Oliver, then the two of you need to find a solution that doesn’t involve you moving out or him running away to New York. But if this life isn’t for you, then you need to tell him before the two of you get even deeper than you already are.”

Chloe frowned. “I’m not the one who ran away,” She motioned around them. “Yes, I was definitely wrong for not telling him before I went and I told him as much. But I don’t think I was wrong for breaking into the mansion.” She told her with a shrug.

“I didn’t mean I’d be moving out right away, but I need to start looking for my own place. The only reason I’m still here is because I know if I leave he’ll take it the wrong way. Do you think I enjoy sitting in dark empty penthouses by myself?” She asked while swallowing hard. “I don’t live here. I’m staying here for now because Oliver asked me to. But this isn’t a permanent situation and he knows that.” She said quietly.

“I think we’ve proved more than once that we are not ready for the cohabitation stage in this relationship.” She grumbled lightly as she lifted her refilled mug of coffee to her lips.

“Do you think I enjoy sitting in my apartment day and night with an angry boyfriend?” Tess asked.”This isn’t an ideal situation for any of us, Chloe but we’re all making sacrifices. It’s what we do for the greater good.” She rolled her eyes as she got to her feet. Tess felt like she was actually making things worse instead of better so she figured she needed to leave.

Chloe sighed. “I’m sorry. I know that you aren’t happy sitting in your apartment especially when Hal is angry. That can’t be pleasant. And you’re right we are all making sacrifices. You’re staying at home for Hal so he doesn’t freak and I’m staying here because Oliver wants me to. That might not seem like a big deal to any of you, but if it had been anyone else who asked me to hide away in some tower where it’s sure to be safe I would have said no.” She told her.

“But I’m here and I’m doing the best I can because I love Oliver and I know this is important to him, that it makes him feel better. Me looking for an apartment so that I can move out when this is all over doesn’t change that.” She said quietly not sure why Tess didn’t understand that. She figured out of all of them the red head would get it since she’d been cooped up downstairs for days now, but she guessed she was wrong.

Tess sighed. “Chloe, I get that this is a big deal and I understand better than anyone how suffocating it can get when you feel like you’re under house arrest. But the point I’m trying and apparently failing to make is that we all need to remember that this is not a normal situation that brought us all together and things will never be normal until Lex is safely locked up behind bars. You wouldn’t be standing here right now if Lex hadn’t blown up your apartment. I know that. You know that. Oliver knows that. Your relationship with him has skipped a lot of steps because of circumstances, not because Oliver is some control freak who wants to take away your independence.”

She walked around the counter and poured herself a cup of coffee, mixing in a generous portion of sugar before moving back to take her seat at the island again. “He loves you, Chloe and you’ve told me that you love him which I would have figured out on my own anyway.” There was a hint of teasing in her voice as she tried to ease the tension in the room. “Don’t let stubbornness or pride or anything else get in the way of that,” Tess urged.

She watched Tess for a minute and nodded. Her words made sense and she felt stupid for making this such a big deal. She knew Oliver just worried the way she worried about him. Chloe hesitated for a second before shifting towards Tess. "I know...I know you're right and Oliver isn't like that. I don't know what's wrong with me," she said softly. "Lately I just can't help feeling like I'm making a mess of everything." She told her while pausing and debating on whether or not she wanted to tell Tess what had been going through her head lately.  
  
She bit her bottom lips and met the other woman's eye. "I'm scared," She said softly. "I've never felt this way about anyone before and you're right things have been all over with us and we've skipped a ton of steps in our relationship...and what if when it's all over, he doesn't feel the same as he does now?" She asked quietly.  
  
"What if it turns out that he doesn't want me anymore when this is all over...or if I do something else that upset him...I don't know how this works and I've already managed to piss him off twice. I'm scared of making the wrong choices." She said with a sigh.

“Chloe, Oliver is going to get angry at you and you’re going to get angry at him. It’s part of being in a relationship,” Tess said. She reached over and squeezed Chloe’s hand. “I’ve lost track of the number of times Hal and I have screamed at each other or I’ve told him that he has to sleep on the couch. He never does,” she added, smiling. “You argue, you get it out and you move on. It’s when you start to keep things from each other, and I’m not talking about missions or side projects, I’m talking about feelings. That’s when you’re going to have problems.”

She took a sip of her coffee and watched Chloe carefully for a moment. “I’ve known Oliver for years and he has never cared about anyone the way he cares about you. That’s not going to change, Chloe. The only way you’re going to get rid of Oliver at this point is if you leave him because he won’t leave you. He’s all in and I really hope you are too because I want you both to be happy. And when this mess with Lex is over, you’ll finally get to meet Hal, the real Hal, not the one who is scared his girlfriend is going to die at any second and he’s going to be happy too. That’s a fact,” Tess said.

Chloe's heart warmed at Tess's words and she gave the red head a small smile as some of the tension in her shoulders receeded. "Thank you and I'm all in. I'm not going to leave him, the fact that I'm sitting here with you instead of running away is testimant to that," she teased lightly before her smile slipped slightly.  
  
"I haven't heard from him since he left the apartment," she sad softly. "I'm sure he made it there fine and he's just busy," she said letting her voice trail off even though they both knew that wasn't the case. She swallowed heavily and shifted back to lean against the counter as she took a sip of her coffee. "I wanted to tell him how I felt, but I keep getting too scared to say anything, but maybe when he comes back, it's about time I tell him."

“He’s probably giving you space and taking some for himself as well,” Tess said gently. She didn’t want to make Chloe feel any worse than she already did, but Tess thought it was probably a good thing that they hadn’t talked. It would give both of them a chance to realize how much they mattered to each other and hopefully that would stop them from being so miserable. If not, she would have no problem telling Oliver to get his head out of his ass much less gently than she’d been talking to Chloe. It was one of the perks of being friends for as long as they had been.

“But he’s also probably busy too. Things in New York are bad and Oliver doesn’t normally handle this kind of thing. There’s a small chance he’s already murdered Scott and will have to go on the run, but that’s a small chance,” Tess stressed. She laughed at the look on Chloe’s face. “Sorry, I’ve been spending too much time with Hal and bad jokes are his thing. I do think you should tell Oliver how you feel. It’s always better to be honest with the person you love. That being said, I should get back downstairs before Hal wakes up and comes storming up here. But Chloe, please call me if you need anything or if you just want to hang out or talk.”

Chloe chuckled lightly once the shock of Tess's words wore off. "Well if he has committed murder he's lucky he's dating someone who can erase any evidence of him being there," She joked before sending Tess a warm smile.  
  
"Thank you and the same goes for you I hope you know. You know if we're being forced to camp out in this building we might as well put it to good use. I say we claim a floor for just us," She teased before moving forward and pulling Tess into a quick hug. When she pulled back she gave the other woman a sheepish look. "Sorry."

“It’s okay,” Tess said. She’d never been one for displays of affection, but she was just relieved that Chloe wasn’t mad at her considering everything she’d said to her. “When you do talk to Oliver and you get all of your relationship stuff under control, tell him that I want to talk to him. I’m not happy about being kept out of the loop on this New York thing.” She gave Chloe a pointed look as she picked up her coffee. “I’m stealing this, by the way. We’ll talk soon,” she added before making her way out of the kitchen and toward the elevator.

Chloe shook her head and laughed lightly as she watched Tess make her way out. She took her mug and made her way back into the living room her chest feeling slightly lighter than she had since she got back from Smallville. She might as well finish going over the information she and Lois took and hopefully one she was done she'd have something to show for it.


	19. Chapter 19

Oliver handed a large stack of paperwork to his assistant. “These are the transfer documents for Scott as well as all the information on Jeff’s promotion and the proposals for the merger I worked out. They all need to be filed first thing tomorrow morning and please make sure to send copies to Tess and her assistant so she has them here and in Star City. Oh and cancel my lunch with meeting for tomorrow and reschedule it for next week sometime. Thanks, Mary,” he added, flashing an apologetic smile in her direction. He knew it was late and she wanted to go home for the day. He did too, but being out of the office for two days straight had cost him.

Mary nodded, closing the door behind her as she walked out of the office and Oliver leaned back in his desk chair and sighed. The trip to New York had been a nightmare. He’d had every intention of just firing Scott and promoting his second in command, Jeff, to his place but Scott had begged him to reconsider and played that family card and Oliver had felt bad for him. He’d agreed to let Scott stay with the company but in a non-management position in the Boston office. After that, he’d spent the entire day going over things with Jeff and working to clean up a potential merger that Scott had nearly torpedoed. It had been almost midnight when he’d finally left the office and since there were still things to take care of; Oliver had ended up staying an extra day.

He hadn’t spoken to Chloe since he’d left the penthouse the morning after their fight. She’d kissed him good-bye and told him to have a safe trip but the tension between them had been nearly unbearable. He’d been busy the first day and he’d figured it was better if they didn’t talk so they both had time to let go of their anger. But Oliver knew he had no excuse, at least not a good one, for not calling her today. He’d texted her to let her know that he was staying an extra day, but that was all he’d said. He hadn’t told her how much he missed her or that he was sorry or that he was helplessly in love with her. Oliver sighed. It was time to remedy that.

Oliver grabbed his jacket and his laptop and opened his office door just as Clark stepped off the elevator. “Is everything okay?” he asked. Fear tightened in his chest as all the worst case scenarios ran through his mind. If something had happened to Chloe because he’d been a jackass, Oliver would never forgive himself.

Clark blinked at the sound of Oliver's voice and moved slowly off the elevator. He hadn't expected to see him in the office so late. It had been a few days since Lois and Chloe broke into Lex's mansion and neither he or Lois had heard from her so he told his girlfriend that he would stop by her office and check in with her. Plus he could use her help decoding the book Lois had found in Lex's vault. He gave Oliver a sheepish smile. "Hey Oliver," he said lightly as he held out his hand to the other man.  
  
"Everything's okay I was actually just stopping by to see Chloe. Lois and I haven't heard from her in a few days and I was hoping she could help me decode something Lois found in Lex's vault," he said holding up the small book in his hands as he shrugged. "Is she here?" He asked lightly.

“She’s not here,” Oliver said. The relief he’d felt when Clark told him that everything was fine immediately faded when fresh guilt churned in his stomach. He couldn’t tell Clark where Chloe was because he had no idea. He assumed she was at the penthouse, but for all he knew, she’d packed up and left. He realized Clark was watching him and Oliver shook himself out of his thoughts and tried to make polite conversation.

“Lois found that in Lex’s vault?” Oliver asked, gesturing toward the book Clark was holding. Chloe hadn’t said anything to him about a book but he hadn’t given her a chance to tell him anything about her expedition at the mansion since he’d been too busy yelling at her. “Did you know the two of them were going to break into Lex’s place?” The question came out of his mouth before Oliver could stop himself. But he was curious to know if Clark had known ahead of time and if he hadn’t, how he had reacted to the situation.

Clark noticed the far off look in Oliver's eyes but it was gone almost as soon as it came. He shook his head and gave Oliver a small grin. "That would be a no," he said while scratching the back of his head. "They don't usually tell me about their excursions until after the fact because I tend to not like letting them go on them." He told him lightly.  
  
"You can't imagine how many times I've had to bail them out of plans gone wrong then again they've probably bailed me out just as much. Those two have always been a hand full, but Lois showed me some of the stuff they got on Lex and if looks like you've finally got some information to link him to the black market deals he's been making, so at least they didn't almost get caught for nothing," he told him easily with a small smile before his brows furrowed.   
  
"Lex has been eyeing Lois at work though, which never makes me happy...he knows it was them, he isn't really surprised though. You would think after all these years he'd get better security to keep them out," he joked and when Oliver didn't laugh he pursed his lips feeling slightly uncomfortable.  
  
Lois had told him that Chloe and Oliver were getting serious and that he should try to make more of an effort to get to know the other man better. So, since they'd been sharing patrols Clark was attempting to be friendlier and he thought it had been going well, but maybe he was wrong.

Oliver was surprised that Clark didn’t seem the slightest bit bothered by the fact that Chloe and Lois had broken into Lex’s house and almost gotten caught. He was actually  _joking_  about it or at least Oliver assumed that had been an attempt at a joke. Humor obviously wasn’t Clark’s forte. Oliver didn’t like hearing that Lex was onto them, but he’d suspected as much since the security guard had seen them and even if he didn’t know who they were Lex would put it together once he heard their descriptions.

“I didn’t realize they already put the information together. I’ve been away for a couple days on a business trip,” Oliver said. His excuse sounded lame to his own ears and he couldn’t read the look on Clark’s face. Guilt festered in his stomach once again. Chloe had planned on telling him everything and she would have by now if he’d just accepted her apology and left it at that. He’d been so scared when he’d realized how close he’d come to losing her and then he’d practically shoved her away. Oliver had no idea how he was supposed to fix things.

He glanced at Clark and noted the uncomfortable look on his face. Oliver started to make an excuse so he could leave but then he changed his mind before he opened his mouth. Clark was Chloe’s best friend and he’d said himself that Lois and Chloe had been doing stuff like this for years and he’d had to bail them out a few times. “Chloe and I had a fight the night she came home from Lex’s. I was mad that she didn’t tell me what she was planning and then she got mad at me because she thought I was trying to change the person she is. That wasn’t my intention. I was worried about her but I don’t think it came across that way.”

Clark's eyes widened slightly. He was surprised that Oliver was opening up to him. He always sort of assumed the other man didn't like him much, which worked well since he hadn't been crazy of him either when they first met. But if he was telling him this then there was most likely a reason. The guilt on his face was clear though and Clark had a pretty good idea why.

  
He shifted slightly and slipped his hands in his pocket hesitating before speaking. "You got angry and yelled," he stated as he arched an eyebrow at Oliver not taking the time to wait for an answer. "You know, I didn't tell Lois about my secret until about a year ago. So in the beginning it was just me and Chloe." He told him as he met Oliver's eyes.  
  
"You can imagine my reaction when she broke into Lex's mansion for the first time and alone mind you." He told him a bit of humor on his face. "I was furious. I yelled and told her to mind her own business and a whole bunch of other horrible things," he said quietly giving Oliver a knowing look.  
  
"Do you know what she did after that?" He asked, "She snorted, told me to get off my high horse and said she was helping me and how I couldn't do everything on my own and I needed to trust her." Clark shrugged and moved so he was leaning against the wall.  
  
"Chloe is rash, and independent and sometimes she and Lois tend to come up with spur of the moment plans and execute them without telling me...well that most of the time. But the thing that's important to remember is Chloe is really amazing at what she does. It's because of her that I'm even standing here. She's saved my butt from Lex more times then I can count and ever since Lois found out, She has too." He told him quietly.  
  
Clark paused a minute to let that sink in. "You need to understand, Chloe has had it pretty rough and I've lost count of the times she's almost been killed and not just because of Lex. It's hardened her over the years and she refuses to sit around and let other people risk their lives for her when she's not doing something to help." He said as shifted again.  
  
"She isn't used to having people she can count on outside of Me and Lois. Her Dad works for Luthor Corp overseas, he left her before she was even out of high school. I'm sure you know about her Mom, and she hasn't had the greatest relationship history. She broke up with her last boyfriend because he thought meta humans were freaks and sometimes I think that's how she see's herself ever since she found out. So it's hard for her to trust people, but I've got to give you credit, she's really trying with you and I think I mentioned that. She doesn't even listen to me when I ask her to do things and we've been best friends for over ten years," he told Oliver softly with a light smile.

Oliver was quiet for a moment as he took in everything Clark was saying. He’d never really thought about it that way. He’d never denied that Chloe was capable and he knew that she was independent and determined to look out for herself. But she had agreed to live with him because he wanted to know that she was safe and she had stayed even after he had called her a selfish brat. Oliver winced at the memory.

Chloe was probably the least selfish person he knew and everything Clark was saying was reinforcing that. Chloe put herself on the line for other people and she didn’t think twice about her own safety because she assumed she would be able to find a way out if she needed to.

“I guess I didn’t give her enough credit,” Oliver said quietly. He leaned against the wall across from Clark. “I’m not one of those guys who think a woman’s place is at home or anything like that but when it comes to Lex…I can’t think straight,” he admitted as he met Clark’s gaze. “I know the kind of sick bastard that he is and the thought that he could hurt Chloe scares the hell out of me. I know I overreacted but I don’t know if I could stop myself from doing it again. I just want to keep Chloe safe.”

He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face as the past few days caught up with him. Oliver was exhausted and all he wanted to do was go home to Chloe. But he didn’t know what to expect or how to fix what he’d broken. She hadn’t said anything, but he’d seen the look in her eyes when he’d left. She’d been uncertain and uncomfortable like she wasn’t sure if she belonged there anymore. Oliver hated that he’d made her feel that way and more than that, he hated himself for walking away knowing that she was feeling that way.

“I need to fix things but I’m not sure how,” Oliver said. He felt strange talking to Clark about this, but he didn’t really have anyone else to go to. He didn’t think Hal would sympathize with him at the moment and he couldn’t exactly have this conversation with Chloe. “If I tell her how I feel, I’m scared she might walk away.”

Clark studied the man in front of him for a minute and he swallowed hard. He hadn’t exactly been the nicest person to Oliver when he first met him and after everything Lois had told him and what Oliver was saying now, he sort of felt like maybe he owed him a little because of the way he reacted to his presence in the beginning.

He attempted to catch the other man’s gaze as he spoke. “We’ve all underestimated Chloe at times, you’re not alone there,” He said a hint of guilt creeping into his features. “I don’t always give her the credit she deserves or the appreciation she deserves,” He told him almost sheepishly. “But she’s stuck with me all these years despite that.”

Clark pushed away from the wall and while taking his hands out of his pockets. “Lois says you and Chloe are serious,” He said hesitantly not sure if he was over stepping his bounds. “So I’m sure you know about Chloe being in one of Lex’s labs…since I sort of outed her anyway.” He winced, but shook the memory away. “Chloe knows how sick Lex is Oliver. She might know even better than you,” He said quietly.

“She has no delusions about the kind of person he is and there’s a part of her that’s terrified to be back in one of those labs again, but Chloe would never let those fears get the better of her especially not when she thinks she can help someone she cares about.” He told him. “If Chloe is still there when you go home, which I assume she is since she hasn’t shown up at our doorstep, she isn’t going anywhere. Trust me. If she was, she would have left already,” Clark said as he sent a slight smile in Oliver’s direction.

“Thanks for saying that,” Oliver said. He couldn’t imagine any of that had been easy for Clark and Oliver appreciated that he’d made the effort. He knew the two of them were never going to see eye to eye when it came to the way they handled their alter egos, but Oliver knew Clark was a good guy and maybe he needed to start giving him the benefit of the doubt. There had to be a reason Chloe had stuck by him all these years.

“I need to go and find Chloe but we should talk soon about Lex and everything Chloe and Lois found. We all want this to be over and I know this hasn’t been easy for anyone involved, but I appreciate everything you’ve done, not just for Chloe but for Tess too. Thank you,” Oliver said again as he held his hand out to Clark.

Clark took his hand and shook it. “It’s not a problem. I know I wasn’t exactly on board in the beginning, but you can always call if you need help with anything.” He took his hand back and slipped them into his pockets again.

“And Oliver, I know Chloe comes off as strong and confident…and she’s definitely one of the strongest people I’ve ever know, but for everything she does, well she doesn’t think much of herself. And unfortunately no one has ever really given a reason to believe otherwise. She’s a lot more insecure than she let’s on.” He said pointedly. It was obvious Oliver cared about Chloe and he really did hope they could work it out. Chloe deserved to be happy the way he and Lois were. 

Oliver nodded. “Thanks, Clark.” He watched as the other man stepped into the elevator and the doors closed a few seconds later. Oliver sighed and closed his eyes for a moment as he replayed everything that Clark said. He knew he was right and that Chloe had no idea how amazing she was. Oliver knew that was part of the reason she was so defensive and why she’d tried more than once to close herself off to him.

He’d forced her to let him in and Oliver would do it again if he had to. He loved Chloe and he was going to do whatever it took to convince her of that and make sure she knew that he wasn’t going anywhere. He pushed the button for the elevator and waited impatiently for the car to come back up to his floor. He needed to get home so they could work things out once and for all.

______

 

Chloe made her way down the stairs, rubbing her arms slightly as a chill crept up her spine. She was wearing an old Metropolis University sweater and a pair of jeans. It was getting colder and somehow even if it was warm out she had a feeling the apartment would still feel cold and empty. Her chest tightened as she stepped off the last stair and headed back toward the living room. This was the second time she’d gone upstairs to wash the tears from her face and she couldn’t seem to stop them from building in her eyes every time she thought of Oliver.

She hadn’t talked to him since he’d left and save for the text he sent her saying he was spending an extra day in New York, she hadn’t heard from him again. Chloe walked back over to the couch and sat down slowly, moving the blanket and pillow she’d had down there aside. She had tried to sleep in Oliver’s bed, but it just wasn’t the same without him in it. She lifted the mug and pulled her feet up under her body as she brought it to her lips and took a sip.

Chloe had been doing a lot of thinking since she talked to Tess and maybe the other woman was right. Maybe she just needed to stop being so stubborn about everything and look at things from Oliver’s perspective. She would do anything to fix things between them. She didn’t want him to be angry at her anymore all she wanted was for them to work things out…She missed him.

Chloe glanced towards the balcony as she took another sip of coffee lost in her thoughts when the sound of the elevator startled her. Her head whipped around, her heartbeat speeding up as she sucked in a breath and waited not wanting to get her hopes up in case it was just Tess again, not that she didn’t want to see the red head.

Oliver hadn’t known it was possible to feel nervous walking into his own home, but that was exactly how he felt. He stepped off the elevator, dropped his back by the stairs and turned to hang his jacket in the closet. The apartment was quiet, too quiet, but he knew Chloe was there somewhere. He closed the closet door and took a deep breath. Oliver told himself that he was being ridiculous but he knew he wasn’t. Chloe meant everything to him and he wasn’t sure he could handle it if he’d screwed things up between them for good. He waited a beat, forced himself to calm down and made his way into the living room. He saw Chloe sitting on the couch and when Oliver saw the uncertainty in her eyes, his heart clenched in his chest.

He stood there for a moment, not sure what to say. He’d practiced a few different speeches on the drive home but most of them had ended with him calling himself an idiot and struggling not to bash his head against the steering wheel. All he wanted to do was sweep her into his arms and never let her go but Oliver wasn’t sure he had any right to do that. Things had been weird between them when he’d left and he didn’t know if his going away had made them better or worse. Oliver knew she was waiting for him to say something.

Sidekick,” he said quietly as he walked toward her. His voice sounded strange to his own ears and Oliver knew it was because he was choking on the emotions he didn’t know what to do with. Oliver hesitated before taking a seat on the couch beside her. He reached out, brushing his knuckles lightly against her cheek. “I missed you.”

A lump formed in Chloe’s throat at his words and she did her best to not let her emotions overwhelm her. She gave him half a smile and stayed quiet for a minute, not wanting to say anything until she was sure her voice wouldn’t break. “I missed you too,” She said softly a minute later her hands fidgeting against her mug. She wasn’t sure if he was still angry or not, but he seemed okay so far and she didn’t want to accidentally say something that would make him mad again if he wasn’t.

Anxiety was building in her stomach, her chest tightening as the urge to say something built in her throat, but she was afraid if she said the wrong thing he’d leave again and Chloe wasn’t sure she could handle that again. She hesitated and met his gaze. “How was your trip?” She asked him quietly.

Oliver shook his head. “I don’t want to do this, Chloe. I don’t want to sit here and talk about the trip or what happened in the office while I was gone. I don’t want to pretend like everything is fine and we weren’t both miserable when I walked out that door two days ago.” He took the mug from her hands and set it on the table and then he moved closer to her, cupping both her cheeks in his hands as he looked into her eyes. “I shouldn’t have left. I thought I was doing the right thing and giving us both space but it was a mistake. All I did for two days was wonder if you were going to be here when I got back. I’m sorry that I left without fixing things between us. I’m sorry I yelled at you. I was out of line,” he said.

He swallowed hard to force down the lump in his throat. Words had always been easy for him. People talked about his charm and how he could talk anyone into anything. But this wasn’t about saying the right words or convincing Chloe that she needed to forgive him. He desperately wanted her to forgive him, but Oliver didn’t want her to feel forced into anything. He needed to know that she believed him; that she believed in him and in his feelings for her. Clark’s words about her self-worth echoed in his mind and Oliver wondered if it was possible to make Chloe see herself the way he saw her.

Tears pooled in her eyes and Chloe reached up gripping his wrists lightly with her hands as she closed her eyes for a second and swallowing hard to push the lump in her throat down. When she opened her eyes again she met his as she tried to hold back her tears. She shook her head. “No, it was me. I shouldn’t have lied to you,” She said softly, “It was wrong…I promise I’ll never do it again. I swear.” She said quickly before hesitating for a second. “I…I was so afraid you weren’t going to come back,” She whispered as she dropped her gaze away from his. “I thought that I ruined things. I can try and do things different…I don’t want to upset you,” She glanced back up a tear slipping from her eye.

“Tell me that we can fix this…Because I,” She paused her throat closing slightly as she waited a minute before continuing. “I don’t want to lose you,” She said while kicking herself for not saying what she actually meant to say. Chloe needed to tell him how she felt. She had to man up, stop being so afraid and just blurt it out so that he knew, but she didn’t currently have enough courage for that.

“Chloe, stop,” Oliver said gently. He brushed away her tears and pressed a kiss to her forehead, trying to calm her down. “I don’t want you to apologize for being who you are. I was wrong to go off on you the way I did. I was scared and I handled things badly. I’m sorry.” Oliver felt terrible that he had done this to her. The last thing he wanted was for her to think that he wanted her to change anything about herself. She was the most amazing woman he’d ever met. 

“I don’t want you to do things differently and I don’t want you to ever apologize to me for being yourself. I love you, Chloe and that’s never going to change no matter how many heart attacks you give me,” Oliver teased. He brushed his thumb over her cheek, wiping away stray tears as he gave her a moment to let his words sink in.

Relief filled her face as the tension eased from her body. “I love you too, so much,” She replied immediately as she shifted closer to him wrapping her arms around his neck. Tess had told her as much, but it didn’t mean anything when it wasn’t coming from Oliver. She knew the other woman wouldn’t lie to her, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up just in case she’d been wrong. “I’m sorry I scared you,” She mumbled against his neck. “I’m not going to say I’ll never do it again because that would be a lie, but I promise you I will do my best to never do it again.” She told him as she tightened her grip on him.

“God I’ve missed you so much,” She said her chest tightening once again as she placed a light kiss to his neck before nuzzling her nose in the same spot.

Oliver held her tightly against him as the tightness eased in his chest and he finally felt like he could breathe again. He hadn’t realized just how badly he’d needed to hear her say the words until that moment. His fingers tangled in her hair as he kissed her temple and the side of her head, basically anything he could reach as she nuzzled his neck. “I missed you too,” he said as his arms tightened around her. 

“I can’t promise you that we’re never going to fight again because you’re stubborn and I’m a jackass but I will always be honest with you.” Oliver pulled back, gently easing Chloe away from his neck so he could look into her eyes. “I love you,” he told her again before he lowered his head and captured her lips beneath his. Oliver let go of his tension and frustration and just concentrated on Chloe and showing her how much he loved her. His fingers tangled in her hair as he deepened the kiss, letting his tongue sweep over hers.

Chloe moaned into his mouth as she returned the kiss with enthusiasm. It felt like it had been forever since he kissed her, really kissed her. And she couldn’t explain how amazing it felt to be in his arms again. She didn’t break the kiss until her lungs burned and when she finally pulled back, Chloe mated her forehead against his. “I love you too,” She whispered before pressing another light kiss to his lips before trailing her mouth down to his jaw as she shifted moving closer to him, her hands pressing him back against the couch until she was able to lift herself and straddle his lap, wanting to be as close to him as possible after the last few days.

His hands fell to her hips, holding her in place on his lap as the familiar ache began to build inside of him. Oliver wanted to tear her clothes off and bury himself deep inside of her and he had every intention of doing just that but he knew they had more things they needed to talk about first.

He relaxed against the couch cushions, lightly squeezing her hips through her jeans as he met her gaze. “Clark stopped by the office looking for you when I was on my way out. He said that he needed your help translating some symbols in a book that Lois found in Lex’s safe.” Oliver gave her a questioning look, still not sure what Clark had been talking about.

“He also told me that you found stuff that we could use to tie Lex to the black market activities.” Oliver tried to ignore the guilt that tightened in his chest. He should have already known what she’d found. But they needed to move past this. “Do you think it’s enough to put him away?” he asked.

Chloe dropped her hands to his chest her palms caressing it lightly as her body relaxed against him. She nodded. “Lois found a book with alien symbols that couldn’t have been good news. So she took it.” She told him with half a smile. “I’m not sure it’s enough yet, but it’s definitely more than we had. I’m in the process of running three searches through the system and as soon as I get the confirmation back that the pieces are the ones that were being sold and bought from that Damien guy we should have enough to bring Lex in.” She said smile on her face before she paused and hesitated slightly.

“I also might have made a phone call to an old friend who’s helping me figure out where the real security footage of Lex pushing Lionel out the window is. If there’s anyone other than me who would know where to look…it’s her,” She said quietly. “He isn’t going to get away this time Ollie. Within the next week he’ll be behind bars and hopefully he’ll stay there,” She said before swallowing heavily and glancing down, glad that this was finally over, but still feeling guilty for not telling him about going in the first place.

Oliver saw the guilt cross her face and placed one of his hands on her chin, tilting her head up so she was looking at him again. “Good,” he said firmly. He didn’t want her to keep feeling guilty because he had overreacted. Oliver still wished she had told him what she was planning first so he could have made sure she had proper back-up but it was over now and it sounded like it had been worth the risk. Oliver wasn’t surprised Lex had been careless enough to leave evidence in the mansion. He was arrogant and he’d assumed that no one would get past his security despite the fact that it sounded like Chloe and Lois had done it several times in the past.

“The black market stuff will be bad for him and he’ll probably get jail time, but there’s always a chance he can cut a deal and get out of it. But if we can prove he killed Lionel beyond a shadow of a doubt, there’s no way even Lex could buy his way out of that one.” Oliver’s other hand slid beneath her shirt and he lightly stroked her lower back, smiling when her skin warmed beneath his touch. “If I haven’t said this before, I’m glad you’re on my side,” he teased.

Chloe grinned. “I bet you are,” She joked as she leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to his jaw before tilting her head back slightly so she could see him, her smiling dimming slightly. “I know this isn’t going to be our last fight…Like you said we’re both pretty stubborn,” She told him while resting a  hand against his heart, the light thumping of his heart vibrating through her hand as she met his eyes. She bit her lower lip before taking a deep breath. “But will you promise me one thing?” She asked softly.

Oliver placed his hand over hers, holding it tighter against her chest as he met her eyes. “Anything,” he replied without hesitation. Clark’s words echoed in his head again and he wondered what it would take for him to make Chloe see how important she was to him. He knew Clark was right and she didn’t put as high of value on herself as she did everyone else. But she meant more to him than Oliver would ever be able to tell her and he was going to do everything he could to make sure she knew that.

“Don’t leave,” She said softly. “If you’re angry yell, slam doors throw things...But Ollie don’t leave again,” She told him quietly as she tried to ignore the hint of tears that she could feel building in her eyes. There was no reason for her to be upset. He was back he loved her and she was never going to lie to him again. She’d learned her lesson and she was sorry, there was no reason to still be upset. He was sitting right beneath her and he wasn’t going anywhere, she told herself as she moistened her lips and cupped his cheek with her free hand, brushing her thumb against it lightly.

“I won’t leave you again, Chloe,” Oliver promised. He wasn’t just talking about if they were fighting either. Walking away from her had been a stupid mistake and he was never going to do it again. He loved her too much to risk losing her and Oliver knew he was lucky that she hadn’t given up on him. He wasn’t sure he deserved her love, but he was never going to take it for granted. He’d thought space would help, but it had only made him miserable and he could see that it had done the same thing to her. Oliver brushed her tears away with the pad of his thumb and kissed her softly. “I won’t leave,” he told her again.

She smiled. “Good, because then I’d have to track you down, and you know I could, and it wouldn’t be pretty,” She joked wanting to lighten the situation now that he was back and she knew he wasn’t going anywhere. She could see that he regretted leaving and she didn’t want him to dwell on it…either of them. Chloe leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips, gripping the side of his face as she coaxed his mouth open with her before tangling her tongue with his, deepening the kiss.

When she finally pulled away she sucked in a long breath and grinned as she tilted her head to the side and arched an eyebrow. “Have I mentioned I’m glad your back?”

“Now that you mention it, I don’t think you have,” Oliver said thoughtfully. His hands slipped down to her hips again and he stood up quickly, keeping her in his arms as he walked toward the stairs. “I think we need to remedy this situation immediately,” he teased as he pressed another kiss to her lips and then lightly rubbed his nose against hers.”It’s good to be back,” he said as he carried her up the stairs. Oliver ran his tongue along the outer shell of her ear. “I’m going to show you just how much I missed you,” he whispered huskily.

Chloe moaned and tightened her arms around him, her body more relaxed than it had been in days. As far as second fights go, this one was pretty bad, but hopefully if they both kept their promises and were honest with each other the next one would be a breeze...Plus Chloe was pretty certain that make-up sex was her favorite kind.


	20. Chapter 20

“Court is dismissed.” The judge banged his gavel against the desk and got to his feet as the bailiff instructed everyone to rise. Tess barely heard the excited murmurs going on around her as she got to her feet. Her lawyers were talking to her and she nodded her head even though she had no idea what they were actually saying. She wasn’t sure she’d heard anything since the judge had ruled in her favor and officially awarded her half of the Luthor estate.

His voice echoed in her head and Tess tried to wrap her mind around the fact that she had actually won. She had never expected to; truthfully she’d never expected Lex’s lawyers to let the case get to the point where it could be heard by a judge. But Oliver had spared no expenses with her legal team and they had shot down every argument and stopped each and every injunction that Lex’s lawyers had thrown at them. Her lawyer had petitioned the judge for a ruling and Lex’s lawyers hadn’t been able to convince the judge that there was any reason to delay the case any further.

But Tess still hadn’t expected him to actually rule in her favor. She knew Lex had half the Metropolis politicians in his pocket and she had assumed when her lawyers told her that she needed to show up for court that the judge would be dismissing her case. Given the cocky look Lex had given her when he’d walked in, Tess had to assume he’d thought the same thing.

She glanced across the aisle to where Lex was still sitting stiffly between his lawyers. His face gave nothing away at first glance, but when Tess looked closer, she could see the rage in his eyes. He hadn’t expected this either. Tess turned away when he gave her a cold look and she felt a hand grasping her shoulder. She turned to where Hal was standing and she could see that he was every bit as surprised as she was.

“We did it,” she said quietly. Tess knew there were reporters lingering in the courtroom and in the hallway and the last thing she wanted was to give them any ammunition. She didn’t want anyone to think she was doing this for money or recognition. Obviously they couldn’t know the real reason she wanted to bring down Lex; not yet anyway.

Hal nodded and gave her half a smile not liking how Lex was looking at her. He still couldn't believe they had actually won the case, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He shifted wrapping his arm around her and motioning towards the double doors. "Come on, let's get out of here, we can fill Oliver in and count your winnings," he joked.  
  
The truth was, Hal was glad this was over. That would mean that all the instigating with Lex would be done and maybe he would finally back off. Or he would try harder than ever to get back at Tess for taking part of everything he had.

“We should wait a few minutes,” Tess said. She moved closer to Hal and rested her hand on his chest as she turned so she couldn’t see Lex out of the corner of her anymore. “The hallway will be swimming with reporters. We should let Lex leave first so he gets stuck with them,” she said quietly. She knew Lex was not going to be happy to face a bunch of reporters asking him how he felt about losing half of his fortune.

“But we should go see Oliver,” she agreed, lowering her voice even more. “Obviously we didn’t expect this and we need to figure out where we go from here.” Tess had no idea. She technically owned half of Luthor Corp. now but she didn’t really see herself setting up an office there anytime soon. The point of this lawsuit had been to get under Lex’s skin and distract him. She knew Chloe had evidence that proved he was buying and selling things on the black market but Oliver wasn’t sure it was enough to put Lex behind bars. Tess wasn’t sure what her new status as the Luthor heiress was going to do for the plan.

Hal nodded. "You're right," He glanced over towards Lex and pulled Tess to the side as he watched the other man arguing with his lawyers for a couple of minutes as he pointed in their direction making Hal tighten his arms around Tess.   
  
Lex's lawyers pointed towards the doors on the opposite side and he shook his head. There were several more quiet whispers before Lex sent a leathal look in there direction, but he let his lawyers lead him out the other doors. As soon as they were opened there were flashes and shouts as Lex was swallowed by the crowd.  
  
Hal smirked slightly before looking back at Tess, his face softening. "I think we can probably sneak out the back now, what do you say?" He asked lightly knowing this whole mess had been hard for her.

Tess nodded. “Good idea,” she said. But she squeezed his hand, stopping him from walking away. “Hal, I know this wasn’t what any of us signed up for and I’m sure Lex is angrier than ever but it means a lot to me that you’re here. I wouldn’t be able to do this without you.” Tess would never give Lex the satisfaction of thinking she was afraid of him. She wasn’t.

But that didn’t mean she enjoyed being in the same room with him while he looked at her like he was plotting ways to torture and kill her in his head. She knew this whole thing had been hard on Hal and she loved him more than ever for standing by her side through everything.

Hal met her eyes and cupped her cheek. “I am always going to be here for you Red.” He kept his eyes locked on hers as he spoke. “Always. Whether I like what you’re doing or I hate it.” He told her softly before sighing lightly. “I know I haven’t been the most patient guy lately and I’ve been giving you a hard time, but it’s only because I love you and I hate seeing you hurting.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek and gave her half a smile.

“We know the kind of man Lex is,” He said quietly his brows furrowing, “And I get scared...because you’re the most important person in my life, you have to know that.” He told her softly. “So even though I’ve been impossible lately...I want you to know it’s only because I love you so much.” He leaned in and captured her lips in a soft kiss, not deepening it too much since they were in the middle of the court room.

“Well, isn’t this a Kodak moment, how sweet,” Lex sneered as he watched them. He’d been outside the courtroom for less than ten minutes when he couldn’t deal with all the questions any longer and his lawyers advised him to go back inside the courtroom until the bailiffs and other officers could clear away the press. He couldn’t believe that all the counter suites he filed and people he paid off couldn’t keep that bastard child from claiming half of his fortune.

He’d done everything but try to bribe the damn judge and that was only because the man was practically one of the only ones not already on his payroll. He hadn’t wanted to come off in that light incase the man wouldn’t take the bribe and now he wished he at least tried. Lex had even gone out of his way to pay off some of the jurors, which obviously hadn’t exactly worked in his favor. He was furious. Tess was going to pay for this. Killing her was too easy...No. He was going to take her and Chloe are torture the two of them together.

The voice behind Hal made him pull back abruptly and turn around. He glared in Lex’s direction crossing his arms over his chest as he stood between him and Tess. “What do you want Luthor?” He asked jaw clenched as he attempted to keep himself in check.

Lex rolled his eyes. “Well for starters I don’t want to talk to Tess’s little body guard.” He shifted and peered around Hal giving Tess a cold smile. “How are you Sis,” He said stressing the word as he glared. “Since you won the case does that mean you’ll actually start coming out of the apartment again? Or will you be going back to cowering in your boss’s ivory tower?” He asked sarcastically.

“Lex, it’s so sweet of you to come over and offer your congratulations,” Tess said. She returned Lex’s cold smile with one of her own as her voice dripped with sarcasm. “It’s also nice of you to keep tabs on us, but Hal and I have other things to do with our afternoon so if you don’t mind…” She let her voice trail off as she motioned for Lex to step aside. Tess didn’t give a damn what he had to say and she wasn’t going to just stand there and let him get Hal all worked up. There were still a handful of people in the courtroom so it wasn’t like Lex was going to try anything.

Lex opened his mouth as they were walking by, but Hal glared at him, his eyes fierce as they met his. He leaned in slightly closer to the billionaire, his voice controlled, but hard as he spoke. “Let it go Lex. You don’t want to push me today because reporters or not, I will beat the smug off of you...Not that there’s any left after that verdict.”

Hal smirked and gave him a shrug. “Just wait until Oliver finds out Tess won...if I were you I’d worry less about my girlfriend and more about keeping that company of yours. If you’ll excuse us.” He said while dropped his arm to Tess’s waist and pulling her around Lex.

The other man stood there, seething as he watched Hal lead Tess to the opposite door in the courtroom and hold it open for her. Hal could feel Lex’s eyes on them, but he ignored him and kept moving. He knew  he had done exactly what he’d been asking Tess and Oliver not to do, but it was either that or punch him in courtroom full of people and he didn’t think the second option would paint them in a good light.

Tess wasn’t sure what to say as Hal led her down the hall to the back exit. She knew it had been hard for Hal to keep his temper in check all this time and Lex was lucky he hadn’t actually punched him. She could feel the tension coming off of Hal and she moved in front of him before they got to the door. Tess saw the look of surprise cross his face but before he could say anything, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. “I love you,” she whispered before she pressed her mouth firmly against his.

He cupped her cheek and returned the kiss, letting his lips linger on hers before he pulled back some of the tension leaving his body as he pulled back and gave her a small smile. “I love you too,” He said lightly before threading his fingers through hers and tugging her towards the exit, “Come on, let’s go tell Oliver the good news.” He said with a smile as he lead her out of the building towards the parking lot.

She nodded, slipping on her sunglasses in case there was more press waiting for them outside. Tess was relieved when she didn’t see anyone as they walked to the car. She was still having a hard time believing that this had actually happened and they had beat Lex for once. Tess knew they still had a long way to go before the fight was over, but for the first time in a long time, she actually thought there might be a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

______

 

Chloe sat at her desk, hands moving over the keyboard as she put together the last of the information they had on Lex. She’d already finished all her office work for the day and it was only two, so she’d decided it might be a good idea to get everything in order with the black market information since Tess was currently in court and depending on the outcome they might need it sooner rather than later.

She and Lois had spent the last few days going through the files and were able to tie Lex to four different counts of black market trafficking. They were able to find photographic evidence as well as a paper trail and Chloe was pretty sure this would get Lex at least a few years in jail, but she was still afraid that he’d be able to buy his way out of trouble.

Chloe shook herself out of her thoughts and finished up with the last file before pressing print. She smiled slightly and opened a new browser window pulling up her email account and waiting for it to load. While she did that her thoughts drifted to Oliver. It had been two a few days since Oliver came back from New York and things with them were finally back to normal, better than even. Chloe couldn’t remember ever being this happy.

The computer beeped and she logged into the secure server and emails a copy of everything to Victor and Oliver before logging off and starting a new email. She typed out a quick message to Lois and right as she was sending it there was a knock on her door before it was pushed open. She glanced up and caught sight of Oliver. She smiled, her face softening as she leaned back in her seat. “Hey, what’s up?” She asked lightly.

“Hey,” Oliver replied with a smile. He closed the door at his back and crossed the room, taking a seat in one of the visitor’s chairs across from her desk. “I’ve been on two and a half hour conference call and I needed to talk to someone who wouldn’t make me want to jump out the window,” he said. Oliver leaned back in his chair and rolled his head from side to side, trying to ease the tension that had settled into his shoulders during the long call. “How are things going in here?”

Oliver knew she’d been working on the information they had on Lex and he was a little anxious to hear from Tess what had happened in court. Oliver knew that the case was going to be over this afternoon one way or the other and if things didn’t go their way, they were going to have to move fast. If Lex won, he wasn’t going to waste any time before he made another attempt on Tess’s life.

Chloe gave him a sympathetic look, “That sounds like a horrible way to spend two and a half hours.” She said before shifting her seat back and forth while sending him a small grin. “Everything’s all together. I emailed copies to you and Victor and printed out a copy,” She said while pushing away from the desk, standing and moving over towards the printer. She bent over slightly and grabbed the papers before turning around and walking over towards him holding them out. “There you go.”

“Efficient,” Oliver said. He hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her toward him before she had a chance to walk back around the desk. He glanced at the paper she had given him. “This is good, Sidekick. I’m not sure Lex would be able to buy his way out of this one especially in international court.” He wrapped his other arm around Chloe as well and pulled her closer so she was standing between his legs. “Have I mentioned that hiring you is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made?” he asked.

“I try to be yes and that’s definitely good to hear. I’m not exactly convinced, but I’ll keep at it. I’ve still got Lana looking into the tape for me,” She told him. Chloe tilted her head to the side and grinned as she ran her hands through his hair while arching an eyebrow “Is that so?” She asked lightly a hint of humor on her face as she glanced down at him.

“It most definitely is,” Oliver confirmed. He smirked at her as he let his hands slide down her hips and over her thighs. “I have some time before my next meeting. Was there anything else you wanted to go over with me?” he asked as his fingers toyed with the hem of her skirt, his eyes locked on hers. “Anything that needs extra attention, perhaps?”

Chloe bit the bottom of her lip to hold in a moan as she shifted slightly closer to him. Her breath hitching in her throat as anticipation coursed through her body at the feel of his fingers brushing against her legs as he played with the hem of her skirt. “Ollie...I thought we said no more fraternizing in the office,” She said lightly even as she slid a palm down his arm as the other fell to his thigh squeezing lightly, her thumb brushing against his pants as she caught his eyes.

“I don’t recall that rule,” Oliver said. “Besides, no one said anything about fraternizing.” He slipped his hand beneath her skirt and lightly skimmed his fingers over her inner thigh. “I was just asking if there was anything else you needed from me. Or wanted,” he added as he let his fingers brush across the front of her panties. His heart was starting to beat faster as her hand tightened on his leg and he could see Chloe’s chest rising and falling rapidly as he continued to touch her.

Chloe sucked in a sharp breath as she gripped his side, arousal flowing through her body at the feel of his hand against her panties. She let out a low moan as she shifted slightly lifting one knee until it was resting against the chair on the outside of his leg, effectively spreading her legs wider for him. “There are tons of things I need from you Hero...and even more that I want,” She said, tone breathy as she slid her hand up his shirt and moved her hips lightly attempting to get his hand to press more firmly against her.

Oliver’s smirk widened as he pressed his hand more firmly against her center, rubbing her core through her damp panties. “I love how wet you get for me.” He brought his other hand up, cupping the back of her neck and pulling her head down as he crushed his mouth over hers. He ran his tongue over the seam of her lips until her mouth opened for him and he deepened the kiss.

His tongue tangled with hers as Oliver pushed the fabric of her panties to the side and slipped two fingers into her body. He really had come into her office to talk to her and see if she wanted to grab something for lunch, but Oliver couldn’t seem to control himself. His need to touch her was overwhelming.

Chloe broke away from the kiss turning her head to the side, a loud noise making its way out from the back of her throat. “God Ollie, do you have any idea what you do to me?” She moaned as a familiar pressure started to build in her lower belly. She knew they probably shouldn’t be doing this in the middle of the office where anyone could just walk in, but she couldn’t help herself. It was so hard to say no to him, when he touched her, her entire body came alive and all she wanted was him.

Her had slid to his shoulder gripping it hard, nails digging into his skin through his shirt as she felt her body responding to his ministrations. She dropped her other hand to the belt of his pants as she tried to move closer to him. “Harder Ollie, I need you,” She dipped her head and let her tongue trail over the shell of his ear, hot breath hitting his skin as she continued speaking. “I want you inside of me…” She whispered before letting out another moan as she started rocking her hips against his hand, her teeth biting into her bottom lip as pleasure filled her face

He groaned at the feeling of her nails digging into his skin and he felt himself hardening as her hand moved to his belt. Oliver increased the speed of his fingers as he thrust in and out of her body as he watched her face. He loved watching her let go and seeing the pleasure cross her face, knowing that he was the one who put it there. “You’re so beautiful, Chloe,” he whispered huskily as he pressed his thumb against her clit. He dropped his other hand to his belt to help her get his clothes out of the way faster. 

There was a knock on the door but before either of them could register what was going on, it was being pushed open and Tess’s voice rang out across the room. “Hey Chloe, have you seen…Oliver,” she finished. Tess crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow in their direction. “I’m sorry, is this a bad time?” she asked.

Chloe’s eyes flew open as she caught sight of Tess across the room and her face flushed. She’d been so close to coming and it took her a second pull herself together enough to feel embarrassed. She attempted to move away from Oliver thought the task proved to be more difficult then she had hoped. “Tess, Hi…” She said lamely as she shook her head and sighed.

“I can see you’ve both been very busy while I was gone. I hope the work load wasn’t overwhelming,” Tess commented. She was trying her hardest not to burst out laughing, but the look on Chloe’s face was priceless. It was somewhere between being embarrassed and clearly being frustrated by the interruption. “Oliver, should I come back at a more convenient time when you’re being less hands on with the employees?” she asked.  

“Very funny,” Oliver said. He glared at Tess over his shoulder as he attempted to fix his pants without hurting himself. She had terrible timing and he really wasn’t in the mood for her over the top comments. He started to ask her if she had a purpose for interrupting them or if she was just passing through to annoy him and then he remembered the court hearing. “What happened?” he asked as he shifted in the chair to see her better. Oliver knew he couldn’t get up yet.  
      
Tess smirked, but decided against making another comment about his predicament. “The judge awarded me half of everything. He said since Lionel was the one who all the assets belonged to in the first place, I had just as much right to them as Lex did since he was my father too.” She made a face at that.

Tess’s teasing only made Chloe’s face more red and when Tess’s next words registered in her head, Chloe’s eyes widened slightly as she leaned back and sat on the edge of her desk while tugging her skirt back into place. “Oh my god Lex must have had a meltdown in the courtroom,” She said almost gleefully. The information was almost worth the interruption… _Almost_. Chloe shook herself out of her thoughts as she glanced at Tess. “Are you alright?” She asked knowing the whole thing had to be pretty weird for the other woman even though this was the outcome they’d hoped for.

“I don’t know yet,” Tess said truthfully. She’d asked herself that same question on the car ride over and the truth was that she wasn’t sure how she felt about this whole thing. It wasn’t like she needed the money. Oliver paid her very well and she loved her life in Coast City. She didn’t need mansions or private jets or a corporation to run. But part of her liked the fact that not only had they beat Lex, but she’d screwed over Lionel too, even if he was dead. He was probably spinning in his grave at the idea that his bastard daughter had stepped forward to claim her inheritance even if it wasn’t something she really wanted.

“Lex was furious but he did his best to hide it. He came over afterward and he was probably going to make some threats, but Hal shut him down fast. For a moment, I thought he was going to punch him, but Lex backed down and we left. I’m sure this won’t be the last we hear from him, but for now, we won,” she said.

“It’s good to know that Lex hasn’t managed to bribe every judge in the city,” Oliver said. That was probably the part he was most surprised about. Legally, Tess had every right to her half of the estate but they all knew what little respect Lex had for the law.

Chloe smiled as she glanced between them. “Is it wrong that I’m enjoying this so much?” She asked lightly before turning her gaze on Tess. “I know you’re not sure how you’re feeling about this yet, but we should absolutely celebrate that you won and he’s furious,” She said before tilting her head to the side and arching an eyebrow in Tess’s direction.

“Oh, I plan on it,” Tess said smugly. They’d had too many disappointments to let the opportunity to relish this victory pass them by. “That’s actually why I’m here. Hal’s waiting in the car but we wanted you to join us at the Ace of Clubs for a late lunch. We figured we could celebrate and also talk about what the next step is going to be. But mostly celebrate,” she stressed. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be too busy, but considering what I walked in on, I think you can spare some time for us.” She smiled at them and turned to leave. “We’ll meet you guys there in twenty minutes or so. Don’t be late,” she added before she left the office and pulled the door closed behind her.

Oliver rolled his eyes. “Twenty minutes doesn’t give us enough time to pick up where we left off,” he grumbled. He got to his feet and adjusted his clothes. “I’ll have Mary cancel my afternoon meeting.” He’d been planning to meet with some of his managers to go over some upcoming projects but it could easily wait until the next day. “Ready?” he asked Chloe.

Chloe’s cheeks were once again red at Tess’s words as she moved back around to her computer and logged off the network before making her way back around the desk towards Oliver. She reached out, trailing her hand down his arm as she nodded. “Ready.” She said with a smile.

Her reaction made him smile and Oliver pressed a kiss to the side of her head, wrapping his arm around her waist as he steered her out of the office to the elevator. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear. “Sorry about the interruption but I promise I’ll make it up to you later.”

She leaned into him and grinned as they stepped into the elevator. “I love you too,” She said lightly. “It’s not your fault, Tess just seems to have bad timing,” She joked remembering the night they went out when the red head and Hal and interrupted them. “I don’t doubt you will,” She said a hint of mischief in her eyes as she held onto his arm while waiting for the elevator to reach the bottom floor.

“This is a good thing,” Oliver said. “I know Tess didn’t do this for the money, but I’m happy the judge ruled in her favor.” The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. Oliver pushed the button for the parking garage and turned to face Chloe as the doors slid shut. “Lex is going to want to lash out but he’ll control himself until the hype dies down. That doesn’t give us much time to find a way to bring him down if those black market ties are not enough,” he said. Oliver was glad that Tess had suggested lunch because they needed to come up with a back-up plan.

Chloe nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’ve been thinking about that for a while and I’m working on a back-up plan.” She told him quietly. “I spoke to Lana the other day and she thinks she knows where the untampered video footage of Lex pushing Lionel out the window is. She told me she needed a day or two and she’d get back to me.” She told him before pressing a light kiss to his jaw and then shifting back.

“The black market stuff is solid, but I wanted to be sure. There’s no room for error with this, I know that. And I know Lex has a lot of people in his pockets and I guess I’m just worried we’ll get a bad judge and he’ll let Lex off…so it’s better to cross all our ‘T’s and dot our ‘I’s.” She said lightly.

“You’re right,” Oliver agreed. He would use all the connections he had to make sure Lex was tried internationally for the black market crimes because there was a lot less chance he’d be able to buy his way out of it. But unlike Lex, Oliver drew the line at bribery. He knew the video footage was their best bet at this point. He really hoped Lana would be able to come through. Chloe seemed confident and that was good enough for him. 

The elevator doors opened a few minutes later and Oliver unlocked the doors to his car, opening the passenger door for Chloe and waiting for her to slide into the car. He walked around to the driver’s side, got behind the wheel and started the car. Traffic was light since it was midday and it took them less than ten minutes to make the trip to the Ace of Clubs. Oliver handed his keys to the valet, reached for Chloe’s hand and a minute later, they found themselves in another elevator that would take them upstairs to the restaurant.

Chloe stood beside him humming softly as she threaded their fingers together and waited impatiently for the chime. She had realized on the ride over that she was starving. Aside from half a muffin this morning she hadn’t stopped to eat, which wasn’t unusual, but she was suddenly famished. “Come on,” she mumbled as she glared at the elevator, her stomach rumbling slightly. She heard a small noise next to her and she turned her head glancing at her boyfriend. She arched an eyebrow at the amusement on his face. “What?”

“Nothing,” Oliver said. Amusement danced in his eyes as he smiled at his girlfriend. “I just find it adorable how you can forget to eat for days but the second you get in a restaurant you remember you actually need sustenance to live.” He dipped his head and pressed a kiss to her lips, just as the chime sounded and the doors slid open. The hostess greeted them as they stepped off the elevator and told them the rest of their party was already waiting.  
  
As they followed her to a table near the back of the room, Oliver realized that this would be the first time he’d seen Hal since the night he’d come over and ordered him to keep Chloe away from Tess. He felt tension creeping into his shoulders, but tried to keep it off his face as they arrived at the table.  
  
“Hey,” he called, greeting his friends with an easy smile as he waited for Chloe to slide into the booth before taking the seat beside her.  
  
“Hey,” Tess replied. She returned his smile as she squeezed Hal’s thigh, reminding him of the long conversation they’d just had about how he needed to stop treating Chloe like she was the enemy. Tess had been happy to see that Oliver and Chloe had obviously worked things out once he’d gotten back from his trip and now she wanted Hal and Oliver to repair their friendship. Tess didn’t expect Hal to treat Chloe like his long lost best friend, but she did expect him to be civil to her.

Hal felt Tess’s hand on his leg and he sighed slightly. He knew she wanted him to let it go and stop being such an ass. He did feel bad about how he’d been treating Chloe and how he kept fighting with Oliver, but he wasn’t ready to forgive the blonde just yet. Winning the court case was just the first step. Now they had to try and keep Tess safe. He’d seen the look on Lex’s face when they were leaving.

He was out for blood…revenge and as much as Hal didn’t want to, a large part of him still blamed Chloe for that and would until this whole mess was over. He shook himself out of his thoughts and glanced at Oliver giving him a hesitant smile. “Hey man,” His eyes drifted to Chloe his body tensing slightly. “Chloe.” He said with a nod.

Chloe gave him a tight smile. “Hi,” She said before turning her eyes towards Tess as a genuine smiled pulled at her lips. “So, how’s the woman of the hour doing?” She asked lightly.

Hal snorted slightly and rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t say winning this case is a good thing,” He told Chloe pointedly. “It only mad Lex more angry, which if you haven’t noticed isn’t really a good thing.” He said while sending a slight glare in her direction. Chloe felt Oliver tense beside her and before he could say anything she turned her gaze back to Hal and arched an eyebrow at him.

“You know what, I’ve let you spend your time griping at me and shooting snide comments my way. I’ve let you be rude and insult me and say horrible things to your best friend and even though I know you don’t mean it and I understand you’re angry it’s going to stop now.” She said in a low voice a hint of anger in her tone. “I accept that you think this is my fault, because guess what I think it is too,” She told him quickly.

“But I’m not going anywhere and the only thing your words do is hurt the people you care about. I’ve had people say worse about me. But every time you’re rude you upset the woman you love and your best friend. And I’m sorry but I’ve sat by for weeks letting you upset Oliver and not saying anything because I didn’t feel it was my place to say anything, but not anymore. How about you and I agree to disagree and when I find that video I’m looking for and we all put Lex behind bars for a long time you can apologize for being such an asshole.” She told him before leaning forward and bringing her water to her lips.

Hal sat there mouth open for a minute before he glanced between his best friend and girlfriend and then back at Chloe who was still arching an eyebrow in his direction. A hint of respect filled his chest for the woman in front of him as he gave her a curt nod. “I can deal with that.” He said while threading his fingers through Tess’s under the table.

Chloe gave him a bright smile. “So glad to hear that,” She said before glancing down at the menus. “I don’t know about you,” She said addressing Tess, “But I’m starving.”

Tess squeezed Hal’s hand and did her best not to let her mouth fall open. She was honestly surprised it had taken this long for Chloe to tell him to shove it. Tess loved Hal, but he’d been out of line with the way he’d been treating her. “I am hungry actually; winning will do that to you.” She winked at Chloe and picked up her menu. She knew their plan still had a long way to go, but the more she thought about it, the happier she was that the court verdict had gone her way. It was about time Lex lost something.  
  
Oliver opened and closed his mouth a few times, dumbfounded. He’d been ready to tell Hal _again_ to knock it off, but apparently he didn’t need to. Maybe now Hal would finally stop being such a dick about everything. He caught his eye across the table and tried not to laugh at the look on his face. “Well I think Chloe said everything I needed to say and then some,” he joked. He reached for his menu and sent a sideways glance in Chloe’s direction. “Best Sidekick ever,” he whispered loudly.

She grinned at him. “Duh,” Before a hint look of mock confusion crossed her face. “Are you just figuring this out now? I thought you were supposed to be quick on the uptake,” She teased before looking back at her menu and nodded at Tess’s words. “It absolutely does. So aside from winning court cases, what else is new?” She asked as she scanned the menu while sliding one hand to Oliver’s thigh, rubbing up and down it as she tried to decide between the pasta primavera and the chicken Florentine.

“Cute,” Oliver said, sending a mock glare in her direction. He knew what he was going to order, so he set down his menu and turned to his friends, waiting for them to answer Chloe’s question. He hadn’t talked to either of them for a few days and he felt bad that he had no idea what was going on in their lives. He really couldn’t wait for this whole thing to be over so things could go back to normal.

“I wish I had something exciting to report, but I don’t. Even Lex made a comment about how I never leave the apartment. I’m sure it was just his way of pointing out that he was watching us like we didn’t already know that,” Tess said. She rolled her eyes and reached for the glass of water in front of her. “What’s new with you two? Besides the severe case of unprofessionalism you were displaying earlier,” she teased.

Chloe couldn’t help the flush that over took her face for what felt like the millionth time that day. “God I’m never going to live that one down am I?” She asked while smiling sheepishly. She lifted her hand from Oliver’s leg and took and brought her water to her lips taking another sip before sending an amused glance in her boyfriend’s direction before looking back at Tess. “I blame Oliver entirely; I tried to explain the office policy about fraternizing...” She said as she bit her lower lip.” He claims there’s no such policy.” She told her, green eyes bright as she sent a sideways glance at Oliver.

Hal’s lip twitched as he watched them for a minute his chest tightening at how strained things were between him and Oliver at the moment. He should know what was going on with him and Chloe or just with his friend in general, but he didn’t. He cleared his throat as he glanced at Oliver. “Aside from sexually harassing employees in your spare time, what else have you been up to?” He joked before asking lightly.

“I didn’t realize it was pick on Oliver day,” he grumbled, pouting. “That’s fine Chloe, but I’ll remember this later.” He gave her a pointed look before turning back to Hal. “Not much is going on. I went to New York for a couple days to work out a personnel problem and things are running smoother on that front. Clark has been handling patrol the last couple of nights and it’s been quiet.”  
  
Tess snorted and rolled her eyes. “Yes, poor, put upon Oliver. We all know there’s nothing he hates more than being the center of attention because he’s so shy and introverted.”  
  
Oliver raised an eyebrow in her direction. “Really, Tess, you want to play that game? Chloe, you should ask Hal and Tess about the incident with the cleaning lady and how traumatized that poor woman was.” He shook his head.

Hal smirked, his face brightening. “That was fun,” He dropped an arm over Tess’s shoulders as he pulled her closer to him. “Come to think of it Red...We haven’t done that in a while,” He said while trailing his fingers down her arm and waggling his eyebrows. He turned his gaze on his best friend, humor dancing on his face. “And for your information, she wasn’t traumatized...and she was well compensated. But seriously...people have to learn to knock and then wait for an answer.” He said unapologetically.

Chloe arched an eyebrow as she glanced between Tess and Hal. They seemed like such a solid couple, so in synch with each other. She wondered how long it took them to get that way. Hal’s voice brought her out of her thoughts.

“Maybe since all this crap is almost over we can try that again when we all go back home to Coast City. I’m thinking of perfecting the move...we might need warm weather.” He said thoughtfully before pressing a light kiss near her ear ignoring the fact that they had an audience.

Chloe frowned slightly. “When you go back to Coast City?” She asked slightly confused, her heartbeat suddenly picking up speed as she kept herself completely calm even thought the words sent a wave of anxiety through her.

Hal nodded. “Tess was just saying the other day how things are pretty much all taken care of at Queen Industries. We’re just waiting for the Lex thing to be over and done with before we all head back to California...Right? Isn’t that what you said?” He asked while glancing at Tess and reaching forward for his drink.

“Yes,” Tess confirmed. Her cheeks were flushed at the memory, but it had nothing to do with embarrassment and Hal’s lips against her ear were not helping. She shifted in her seat, crossing her legs and trying not to dwell on what they had been doing when the cleaning woman had surprised them in her office that night.

“I hope all of this is concluded before the first snowfall. I’m already having a hard time adjusting to the cold weather. The temperature rarely drops below sixty degrees in Coast City,” she said. Her smile faded when she saw the look on Chloe’s face. Tess opened her mouth to ask her what was wrong, but when she glanced at Oliver and saw the same startled expression, Tess realized they obviously hadn’t talked about what was going to happen when this was over.  
  
“I know she was well compensated; I paid the bill,” Oliver muttered, not sure what else to say. He hadn’t really thought about going back to California because there were so many other things going on. But Hal was right. Things had been straightened out at Queen Industries and they would have already gone home if it wasn’t for the Lex situation.

But now he had his relationship with Chloe to consider. Oliver loved her and he didn’t want to be away from her. She had told him when he offered her the job that she wouldn’t leave Metropolis. Was that still the case? He glanced at her, uncertainty in his eyes as he tried to read her expression.

Chloe swallowed hard and nodded attempting to push away the pain in her chest. “Right, it must have slipped my mind, obviously you guys want to get back home.” She said with a small smile as her chest tightened and she reached for her water again. How could she have forgotten that Oliver lived in California? She had known all along that he was going to go back, they had all said this wasn’t a permanent situation. All of a sudden her appetite was gone as she thought of what it would be like to not have him around every day. If he went back to California...No _when_ he went back what would that mean for them? Would he want to end their relationship? She couldn’t see him doing that...He told her he loved her. You didn’t just break up with someone you loved because they lived a few states away...Did you?

Her heart was beating a mile a minute in her chest and she wasn’t sure what else to say. She didn’t want to ruin their lunch especially since Oliver and Hal seemed to be getting along so she shifted in her seat, taking note of the fact that there were several pairs of eyes on her. “When are you guys planning on leaving?” She asked her tone calm as she glanced around the table.

“Obviously none of us can leave until we get Lex taken care of,” Tess pointed out quickly. She could practically feel the tension that was suddenly coming off Chloe and Oliver and she racked her mind for some way to change the subject.

“Nothing is for certain,” Oliver replied. He rubbed his hand over Chloe’s leg under the table, trying to soothe her tension. They were going to have to talk about this when they didn’t have an audience. He’d never attempted the long distance relationship thing and he didn’t really want to do it now. He loved Chloe too much to settle for only seeing her once every couple weeks or whatever their schedule would allow.

But her life was in Metropolis and his was in Star City. Did he have any right to ask her to give up everything she knew and move across the country with him? Oliver knew it was possible for him to move to Metropolis. If he did, he’d have to make frequent trips to California and it would probably still feel like they were in a long distance relationship.

The waitress came to take their order and once she was gone, the table fell into a tense silence once again. Oliver watched Chloe out of the corner of his eye, wishing he had some idea what was going on in her head.

Chloe turned her head glancing at Oliver and gave him a small smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She placed a hand over the one that was her leg, stilling it. "Ollie...of course it's certain," she told him softly even as her chest tightened even more as she said the words out loud. "I mean you have to go back home...right?" She meant it to come out as a statement something she could joke off, but it came out as the exact opposite.  
  
She couldn't keep the uncertainty out of her eyes as she watched him even though her voice was steady. Chloe knew he had to go back. His business was there, and Hal and Tess. They were like his family. She couldn't ask him to stay, then she really would be selfish. Chloe blinked her eyes before looking away from him and back at Tess and Hal as she plaster a smile on her face. "You guys aren't leaving now so it's probably something we can talk about later," she said.   
  
"For now why don't you tell us the first thing you plan to do with your half of the Luthor Corp shares, Tess," and even as she said the words, Chloe threaded her fingers through Oliver's, gripping his hand tightly as her heart ached. She wasn't sure him leaving was something she could talk about in public without being extremely emotional, so it was just going to have to be something they discussed in private later.

Oliver swallowed heavily. The look on her face was like a knife through his heart. He knew she was upset even if she was trying to pretend like she wasn’t. He couldn’t believe this hadn’t crossed his mind until now. But he would respect her wishes and let the subject drop for the time being. They’d have to have a conversation when they got home though whether they wanted to or not. He held Chloe’s hand a little tighter and turned to Tess. “Did you get stock options in the company?” he asked.

“I did,” Tess said. She could still see the tension on Chloe and Oliver’s faces, but she figured it was best to drop the subject of going home. That was something they needed to discuss on their own. “I have an equal share in the company as Lex which I assume means that I’m entitled to an office in the building.” She smirked as she imagined the look on Lex’s face if she marched into Luthor Corp. and told him she wanted to be a “hands on” co-CEO. “I’m sure his board of directors will be able to block any decisions I want to make. But I would be willing to sell you some of my stock just so we could show up for the next meeting together.” Tess snickered. “Actually, I should probably give Chloe some. I think she’s the only person Lex hates more than you, Oliver.”

Chloe grinned slightly. "I'm actually quite proud of that fact." She said a hint of humor in her voice. "You would think after all these years he'd learn that when it comes down to me and him he's always going to lose, but apparently I haven't showed him up enough yet." She joked. It was true though, since the second Lex had decided to turn on her, she and Lois had been making his life a living hell and still he underestimated them time and again.  
  
She shook herself out of her thoughts. "But this time, when we get our hands on that tape," she told them quietly, "The charges will stick and he'll wish he never tried to hurt you," she told Tess, confidence in her voice. Chloe knew she could count on Lana to get the information to her and then...it would all be over.  
  
Hal watched Chloe's face closely and immediately following her words and grin the look on her face was replaced with a hint of pain. He hadn't meant to bring up the leaving thing, well he had, but he just assumed it was something Oliver and Chloe had talked about, apparently he was wrong.   
  
Hal opened his mouth to ask Oliver a question as the waitress came back with more drinks and some bread letting them know their food would be there soon. As soon as she turned and walked away Hal turned his eyes on Oliver. "I was thinking maybe if you had time we could do something this week...if you want," Hal said with a shrug. He hadn't really been around much and when he was he had acted like an ass. And more than anything Hal wanted to rectify that.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Oliver agreed. He missed hanging out with Hal and it would be nice to hang out without worrying that his friend was going to be angry at him the whole time. He could see that Chloe’s words had finally gotten through Hal’s thick skull and he figured sooner or later Hal would come around and see how amazing Chloe was. He squeezed her hand again before turning back to Tess.

“I know you were kidding with the whole setting up shop at Luthor Corp. idea but that might be something to keep in the back of our minds.” Oliver held up his hand when he saw Hal open his mouth, presumably to protest the idea of Tess going anywhere near Lex. “I’m not suggesting she go in on her own or at all. But having access to Luthor Corp. might benefit us. Chloe and Lois found evidence in Lex’s house so there’s a chance he’s got stuff in the office too.” He lifted his shoulder in a shrug. “It’s just something to keep in mind,” he said.

Hal grunted. "Yes something to keep in mind for later when Lex is behind bars." he said lightly while tugging Tess closer to his body as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. He knew Oliver meant well and Hal didn't want to give him a hard time. It would be a good idea as long as Lex wasn't around, he didn't want to take any unnecessary chances.   
  
Chloe leaned into Oliver slightly as she lifted a bread stick from the basket with her free hand and glanced at Tess. "Maybe while the boys hang out you and I can do something," she said lightly. It wasn't just Oliver that she was going to miss when they went back to Star City. She'd grown close to Tess over the past few months. Her chest tightened once again and she continued talking. "I've been meaning to go shopping, I need to pick up a few things, if you're up for it."

“Sure,” Tess agreed with a smile. “I’ve never actually gone shopping with someone who didn’t complain the entire time.” She sent a teasing glance in Hal’s direction as she squeezed his thigh. She liked the idea of spending time with Chloe when they weren’t in mortal danger or trying to stop a madman. She loved Hal and Oliver but it was nice to have another woman around for a change, especially one who had a brain and a sense of humor.

She knew it was none of her business and she certainly wouldn’t say anything to either of them, but Tess hoped that Oliver was planning on asking Chloe to come back to Star City with them. She knew Chloe was close to Lois and Clark and it might be hard for her to leave the place she’d lived her whole life, but she couldn’t imagine Oliver would be okay with leaving Chloe behind.

The waitress returned with their food a few minutes later. Oliver automatically cut off a few pieces of his chicken and added to Chloe’s plate along with some of his rice. His thoughts were all over the place as he lifted a forkful of food to his mouth and chewed slowly, not tasting anything. He was confident Lex was going to be behind bars soon and Tess would be left in charge of Luthor Corp. and all of the other Luthor holdings. The world was going to be a better place and he knew he should be happy about that. He was happy that Lex was finally going to get what he deserved, but Oliver couldn’t stop thinking about what this meant for him and Chloe.

______

 

Chloe stood in the elevator quietly; one hand in Oliver's the other one on his arm as she leaned into him slightly. The rest of dinner had gone alright, but there had been a lingering tension throughout dinner. The car ride had been the same as Chloe was ashamed to say she'd practically been attached to Oliver's side all night long.  
  
She hated how needy she felt, but the thought of him leaving, not being around to wake up with her in the morning or have lunch with during the day or even to be completely lazy and lounge around the apartment with. The thought of not hearing his laugh everyday or the way he teased her when they talked sent an ache resonating through her heart.  
  
Chloe didn't want him to go, but she didn't want to ask him to give up his life and stay with her. That wasn't fair and she couldn't do it. She loved him too much to be that selfish. The sound of the elevator chiming snapped her out of her thoughts and as the doors slid open she stepped forward hands still on Oliver as she tugged him forward, still not saying a word, mostly because she had no idea what to say.

Oliver wasn’t really sure what to say either. He knew they needed to talk, but he had no idea where to start. Neither one of them had said much through the rest of the meal, letting Hal and Tess do all the talking and only giving responses if they were asked direct questions. They hadn’t attempted any small talk in the car during the short drive and there was a part of him that wanted to just ignore the problem altogether and just go on with their night. But that wasn’t the kind of person he was and it wasn’t who Chloe was either. He kept her hand in his as he led her to the couch and took a seat, pulling her down beside him.

“I guess we were both caught off guard today,” he started, quietly stating the obvious. “I’ve been so wrapped up in stopping Lex and keeping you and Tess and everyone else safe that it just sort of slipped my mind that I don’t actually live here.” Oliver rubbed his thumb over Chloe’s as he watched her face. He needed some kind of indication of what was going on in her head before he continued with what he wanted to say.

She swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah, I guess we did," she said softly, uncertainty in her eyes. Chloe knew Oliver loved her, but she wasn't sure where his mind was at with this issue and how he wanted to handle it and she didn't want to say the wrong thing. She bit her lower lip and pulled his hand onto her lap so it was in both of hers.  
  
"When do you think you guys will be leaving?" She asked trying to keep her voice steady as her heart clenched.

“I don’t know,” Oliver replied. “It depends on how things go with Lex and how things play out for Tess with her new inheritance. But as far as things go at Queen Industries, everything is running smoothly now and the new VP should have no problem with the transition once Tess and I are back in Star City.” He saw a flash of something he couldn’t identify in her eyes when he spoke and Oliver leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek, letting his lips linger against her skin.

“Chloe, I love you. That’s not going to change even if we end up living in different states.” Oliver cupped her cheek in his hand and tilted her head toward him so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. “You know that, right?” he asked quietly.

Chloe could feel her eyes burning at the corners as she nodded. She glancing away from him for a second to compose herself. She didn't want to cry and make him feel bad. She knew he had to go home and he'd obviously made up his mind to go, which she completely understood. She glanced up at him a minute later and gave him half a smile.  
  
"I know and I love you too," she whispered as she shifted closer to him. "And it's not that many states away," she said attempting to be positive as a lump formed in her throat. She didn't want to live states away from Oliver. They spend everyday together now and she felt like *that* wasn't enough. She couldn't imagine not being able to see him any time she wanted.   
  
The thought of him being so far away made her want to grab onto him and never let him go and she wondered briefly if that was a normal reaction or if she was too attached to Oliver.

He could see that she was trying not to cry and Oliver wasn’t sure if what he was about to say was going to make it better or worse, but he knew he had to get this out. “Chloe, I can’t stay here,” he started gently. “I thought about it but it would be too difficult to move Queen Industries’ main headquarters from Star City to Metropolis. There would be too much upheaval and I can’t be that selfish with my employees’ lives. I thought about going back and forth but I’d probably spend more time in California than I did here anyway so it would just mean less time for me to spend with you.”

Oliver stroked her face as anxiety rose in his chest. He hated seeing her upset and he could tell that his words were not helping the situation so far. “I want you to come to Star City with me,” he said. Oliver pressed his finger to her lips before she had a chance to say anything. “Please hear me out first,” he said.

“I know this is your home and Lois and Clark are here and I understand why you might not want to leave. But I can’t imagine not being with you every day and I know this is selfish, but I can’t help it. I love you, Chloe and I need you.” He moved his finger away from her lips and replaced it with his, kissing her slowly, drawing it out as he deepened the kiss until they were both breathless.

He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers as he met her eyes again. “I’m not asking you to decide right this second. I know this would be a huge change and the offer is going to be on the table a week from now or six months from now. But if you decide you can’t leave Metropolis, I can accept that and we’ll work through it.” Oliver smiled at her.

“I have a private jet and you have a best friend who can travel the country in a few seconds. We’ll work it out,” he assured her. Oliver knew it wouldn’t be the same and it would be hard on both of them, but it was Chloe’s choice. If she wanted to stay in Metropolis, he would find a way to make it work. He wasn’t going to lose her.

Chloe’s heart warmed and she let out a small laugh at his words about the jet and Clark though she couldn’t stop a few stray tears from falling. He wanted her to go with him. Metropolis was her home, it was all she’d ever really known. Her only family was here. Could she really just walk away from Lois? From Clark? Oliver had just admitted that he thought about it for her, that if it would have been feasible he most likely would have given Hal and Tess up to come live in Metropolis. Shouldn’t she be willing to do the same?

She reached up and cupped his cheeks, leaning in a pressing a light kiss to his lips. Chloe’s grip tightened on his cheeks as she deepened the kiss coaxing his mouth open with hers. When she finally pulled back her body was pressed against his, her heart racing in her chest as her forehead rested against his. “I love you so much,” She told him quietly before pausing for a minute. “I…can you give me a day or two to think it over?” She asked him softly. Chloe knew he said the offer would be on the table a week from now or six months from now.

But Chloe felt like she should know the answer to this question right away and it scared her that she didn’t. She needed to talk to Lois, make a few phone calls, and weigh the pros and cons of moving to an entirely different state to start over. She just hoped he wouldn’t be angry with her for needing a day or two to think it over.

“I love you too, Chloe,” Oliver said quietly. He knew this was a big decision for her and he didn’t expect her to have an answer right away. “Take as much time as you want,” he said. “I’m not going back to Star City for at least a couple weeks.” Oliver had no idea how much time it would take to get everything sorted out with Lex. They still needed hard evidence before they could do anything and it had eluded them in the past.

Chloe nodded and pressed a light kiss to his jaw moving her hands to his arms, some of the tension leaving her body as she spoke softly against his skin. “I’ll have an answer before then,” She told him before trailing her lips over to his neck. She might not have an answer yet, but Oliver wanted to live with her. He wanted her to move back to Star City and share a life with him and that meant the world to her. The thought alone filled her heart with warmth as happiness blossomed in her chest. God she loved him.

Chloe shifted pulling her legs up onto the couch until she was kneeling next to him as her hands slid to his neck, gripping it lightly as she trailed her lips to his ear. “You have no idea how happy you make me Ollie,” She said, hot breath hitting his skin as she trailed her tongue along the edge of his ear.

His eyes drifted closed as a shudder ran down his spine. Oliver wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her body tighter against his. “I hope it’s at least half as happy as you make me otherwise I need to work harder,” he teased. His other hand went to her face and he brushed his knuckles over her cheek as his eyes met hers.

“I don’t know what I would do without you, Chloe,” he told quietly. “I know we didn’t meet under ideal circumstances and everything has been a struggle since then because of the lives we lead but you mean so much to me.” He swallowed hard, fighting against the lump in his throat as his emotions swam in his eyes. “I love you,” he said again.

Chloe’s face softened as she cupped his cheek, her eyes shining slightly. “I love you too…I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.” She whispered. “I didn’t even know if was possible to love someone this much.” She confessed. “I can’t remember what life was like before you and I don’t ever want to remember…I never want to lose you Ollie. I fall more in love with you every day,” She told him quietly, her eyes growing glossy. “I’ve always sort of felt different and…overlooked I guess.” She told him while glancing down and not meeting his eyes.

“But when I’m with you…You make me feel like I’m your entire world. Like there’s nothing more important.” She glanced back up and met his eyes. “You make me feel treasured and loved and I know that sounds stupid…but I’ve never had someone do that for me before. I’ve never had someone look at me and see _me_. Not until you,” She whispered before pressing her lips to his in a soft leisurely kiss as she moved straddling his lap so she could be closer to him, her knees hitting the couch on either side of his legs as her skirt rode up slightly.

“That doesn’t sound stupid, Chloe and it’s the truth,” Oliver said. He leaned back against the couch, shifting beneath her so her body was pressed tightly to his as he dropped his hands to her hips. “There’s nothing more important to me than you and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.” He kissed her softly, letting one of his hands tangle in her hair as he deepened the kiss. When his lungs started to burn, he broke the kiss, sucking in air as he met her eyes once again.

“I never thought it would be possible for someone to love me; to love the real me,” Oliver said. “I got so used to living my life as a way to protect my secret that I forgot that I was actually supposed to live it. I never cared because I figured what I was doing was more important than what I wanted. I knew Hal found a way to have both with Tess but I never thought that I would until I met you.” He pressed a kiss against her lips and then another one to her jaw. “You make me better, Chloe,” he said.

Chloe moaned at the feel of his lips against her jaw as her face softened, her hands threading through his hair. “I think that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” She said voice barely a whisper and suddenly she felt an urgent need flow through her. She tugged his head up until his eyes met hers. “I love you,” She told him before pressing her lips against his.

She pulled back when she felt her chest burning. Chloe leaned back, her heart beating quickly in her chest as she ran her hands down his chest. “I want you,” She said quietly before leaning in and placing a trail of feather light kisses from his cheek down his neck and to his ear. She rested her cheek against his. “Ollie…make love to me,” She whispered near his ear, hot breath hitting his skin.

Oliver nodded, turning his head to press a light kiss against her cheek before gently easing her back so he could look into her eyes. He loved her so much it hurt and Oliver’s breath caught in his throat as he just watched her for a moment. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve her but he was damn grateful for whatever it was.

He stroked her cheek before lightly brushing his fingertips over her lips. He kept his eyes on hers as he let his hands slide down her body as he began unbuttoning her blouse. Leaning forward, Oliver placed a kiss over her heartbeat as he pushed her shirt down her shoulders.  
      
“You’re so beautiful, Chloe,” he whispered against her skin. He lowered one strap of her bra and then the other, covering her neck and shoulders with kisses as he ran his hands down her arms. Oliver never got tired of touching her or listening to the little sounds she made each time he kissed her or put his hands on her skin. She was so responsive and it only made him want her that much more.

Chloe moaned, her eyes fluttering closed, the heat from his mouth on her body sending shivers down her spine as she ran her fingers through his hair. Her pulse quickened and she sucked in a sharp breath as he kissed the tops of her breasts. She couldn’t get enough of Oliver touching her. Every time she felt his hands on her body she couldn’t help the rush of arousal that went through her body.

Oliver worshiped her body in every way, making her feel like some kind of goddess. He barely needed to try, a caress here and stroke there and her body was ready for him calling out to him with an ache that only he could fill. Things had been intense ever since the first time, more intense than she ever thought it could be; so full of emotion and pleasure that her body begged for it. That’s what he did to her.

Chloe shifted her hips slowly rotating her lower body against him, pressing herself down heavily so she could feel him through his pants. “Ollie…” She moaned as her hand moved from his hair down his body and caressed his back, nails gripping him as she continued to move her hips against him leisurely wanting to build up the friction and draw out the feeling he was creating inside of her.

Oliver groaned as she pressed herself against his growing hardness. He wanted to take things slow, but he wasn’t going to be able to if she kept moving her hips against his. He ran his hand down her back, moving slowly along her spine, pausing just long enough to unclasp her bra before sliding to her lower back and settling against the sensitive skin there. He used his other hand to push her bra out of the way and kissed his way down her breast before swirling his tongue over her nipple and sucking it into his mouth. He brought his hand up to caress her other breast, stroking her nipple between his fingers.

He felt her hips moving faster against him as he switched his mouth to her other breast and his cock twitched in his pants, anxious to be inside her wet heat. It didn’t matter how many times they’d been together, it never felt like enough for him. He moved his hand over the curve of her ass and pressed her body more firmly against his as anticipation moved through him. His eyes darkened as he watched the pleasure cross her face each time he touched her.

Chloe moaned her breathing coming in ragged gasps as her teeth bit into her lower lip. The feel of his mouth on her breast made moisture pool in her panties as she moved against him harder, her hands falling to his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin as she shifted her legs slightly wider apart to get a better angle as the bulge in his pants rubbed right against her center. “Ollie, I want you inside of me,” She said desperately while slipping a hand between them to his belt.

She started unbuckling his belt and pulling it out of the loops almost frantically, when her phone went off in her purse a few feet away from them. Chloe groaned her hips slowing down slightly, but not stopping completely as the beeping grew louder.

“We need to get rid of our phones,” Oliver said. He was breathing rapidly as his head fell back against the couch. He knew Chloe had to answer her phone. It might be important. They didn’t live the kind of lives where they had the luxury of just ignoring the rest of the world no matter how much they both wanted to. But they really needed to work on their timing.

Chloe groaned and let out a frustrated sigh. “The world better be ending,” She grumbled as she leaned to the left not bothering to move off his lap as she fished her cell phone out of her purse. Her hands curled around it as she and she pulled it out and scrolled through it as she attempted to control her breathing. Chloe scrolled through the phone frowning, before her eyes widened. She glanced up meeting Oliver eyes and motioned toward the phone. “Lana sent me an email with a few attachments,” She told him her voice quiet.

“She knows where the tape is...She said she included the blueprints to the building.” She told him her heart speeding up for an entirely different reason this time. They were finally going to get some proof to send that bastard to jail once and for all.

Oliver’s eyes widened as he placed his hand over Chloe’s and tilted the phone toward him so he could see it. “That’s Luthor Corp.,” he commented. “I guess we’re going to need Tess to use her newfound connection after all.” He couldn’t believe after all these years and everything the team had gone through to try and stop Lex that they might actually have what they need at their fingertips. He studied the different emails that Lana had attached and he had to hand it to the woman for coming through for them.

Oliver knew they were going to have to move fast because they couldn’t give Lex any time to clear things out of the building now that Tess had the right to be there too. His mind was already coming up with a plan. It was going to be tricky, but he knew they could pull it off if they all worked together.


	21. Chapter 21

Lex sat at his desk, laptop open, several papers scattered across his desk as a monotone voice droned on, echoing in his quiet office. It had been three days since the judge ruled in Tess’s favor and awarded her half of everything he owned. His lawyers had been going back and forth with hers for the past two days splitting up assets, and drawing up contracts that he needed to sign. His jaw clenched as he lifted one of the faxes from his desk, his eyes roaming over the words that said she would receive half his stock for Luthor Corp.

Lex’s jaw clenched, his hand tightening on the contract hard enough to turn his knuckles white. He didn’t bother listening to the buyer on the phone; he could care less what the man had to say. Ultimately, whatever the price was Lex would accept it and they’d move on. He didn’t haggle and when you were dealing with black market purchases there wasn’t much wiggle room. Something he wished people would realize.

His eyes grew cold as they once again focused on the contract. Lex was furious that he was being forced to share his company. The wealth, he didn’t like, but could deal with. The cars, the Daily Planet, and everything else fine, but not Luthor Corp., that was his and his alone. There was no way in hell he was signing those. He had other plans for Tess and none of them involved her getting anything, unless an uncertain death counted.

It would take a little time and he would have to wait a little bit of time for things to die down , but he had a plan that was going to take both Tess and Chloe off the map. He even had a special place set aside just for them. When he got his hands on those two he was going to make Tess wish she never came forward and Chloe wish she’d never crossed him.

Lex’s thoughts were interrupted by a commotion outside his office. He frowned when the sound of raised voices reached his ears and he leaned forward slightly and cleared his throat. “Mr. Jenkins I’m going to have to give you a call back,” He could hear the man saying ‘but’ before he hung up the phone, pushed his chair back, and stood. His brows furrowed and  he made his way towards the double glass doors pulling them open the doors as he spoke irritation in his voice.

“What the hell is going on out here? I’m trying to work,” He shouted sharply before his eyes landed on his secretary before he glancing to the people in front of her desk. Lex’s eyes widened slightly. “What the hell are you two doing here?”

“Lex, it’s so nice to see you!” Tess said brightly. She squeezed Hal’s hand as she shot a beaming smile in Lex’s direction. “I was just telling your assistant that Hal and I wanted to talk to you about some of the changes I want to make around here. I really think we should start with the décor. Why is everything gray?” she asked.

“It’s so drab. Maybe that’s why you have such a negative reputation.” She kept her tone bubbly as she tried not to choke on her words. Tess could see that Lex was furious and his assistant was obviously confused and that was exactly what they were going for.

Oliver had called them up to the penthouse the night before and showed them everything Lana had sent Chloe. He and Hal had debated the best way to get in and out of Luthor Corp. After going round and round for what seemed like hours, Oliver had finally convinced Hal that it would be best if he went in as Green Arrow while Chloe guided him through the map Lana had given them. They’d considered waiting until nightfall but Oliver was concerned there would be more guards and a greater chance of him getting caught when there weren’t supposed to be people in the building. That’s when he’d come up with the idea of Tess and Hal distracting Lex since he knew Hal wouldn’t let Tess go in on her own.  
  
So far everything was going according to plan. Tess and Hal both had tiny communicators hidden in their ears that connected them to Chloe who was monitoring everything from the penthouse. Oliver was in position waiting for Chloe’s signal that they were in Lex’s office so he could make his way into the storage area in the basement of the building.

The security guards had given Tess some trouble downstairs, but there wasn’t much they could do to stop her since she was a legal owner of the company. She’d been hoping they wouldn’t have a chance to tip off Lex and they obviously hadn’t given the irritation on his face.

Lex had to take a minute to calm himself down before he went back in his office pulled the gun out and shot her right there in front of witnesses. He prided himself on his ability to stay calm in any situation, but this…this was ridiculous. His eyes turned into slits as he took a step towards Tess.

Hal immediately moved closer to his girlfriend and grinned at Lex attempting to push the worry to the back of his head. “She’s all about the color,” He told Lex with an amused shrug. “You should see what she did to Oliver’s office when she finally moved into the building. And this one right here,” He pointed to Tess, “Doesn’t really take no for an answer.”

Hal watched Lex closely and he almost laughed out loud at the look on the other man’s face. He could see the bafflement mixed with rage in his expression and suddenly he liked this plan more than he originally did.

Lex opened and closed his mouth for a second before pursing his lips. He turned his head towards his secretary. “Hold my calls,” He told her through clenched teeth before motioning towards his office. “You two, get in here now. I don’t know what you’re doing here or what you think this is going to accomplish, but you’re not touching anything in this office.” He said voice harsh and she turned around and shoved his office door open before calling out for them to follow him.

Tess winked at Hal, noting the satisfaction on his face. She’d had a feeling that he would appreciate this plan a little more once they put it into action. It was hard not to laugh at the outrage on Lex’s face. She waved to his assistant as she pulled Hal with her through the door to Lex’s office, purposely leaving it open. Tess wasn’t concerned that Lex would attempt to do anything to them when there were too many witnesses who knew where they were. Besides, Hal had his ring with him just in case there was a problem. But she knew having the door open would irritate Lex and that was what she was going for.

“You have a decent amount of space in here,” Tess commented as she surveyed the room. “Again, the color scheme is boring though. What’s with the purple? Is that a Luthor thing? I don’t know about you, Hal, but I’ve never been a big fan of the color. I can’t decide what color my office should be. Do you have any suggestions, Lex?” she asked sweetly.

Lex stared at her for a solid minute baffled by her audacity. He wasn't sure what she and her little body guard boyfriend were playing at, but whatever it was it was meant to get under his skin so he needed to calm down and reevaluate the situation. He swallowed heavily to control his temper before his eyes shifted to Tess.   
  
"Let's make one thing clear right now. Regardless of whether or not you were awarded half this company by a judge or not, you will *not* be getting an office of any kind here, nor will you be allowed on the premises on a daily basis. By law you can attend board meetings, share holder meetings, basically any kind of meetings, but I determine what goes on here day to day," he told her his tone clipped. Lex wasn't sure what Tess thought she was doing, but he was nipping it in the bud right here and now.  
  
Chloe sat at Oliver's desk in the penthouse watching the entire scene through her the video feed on the computer and she couldn't help the chuckle that left her throat at the look on Lex's face. He looked shocked that Tess actually thought she was going to be getting an office. And she couldn't help the grin that settled on her face as Tess continued to speak.  
  
She adjusted the ear bud in her ear making sure everything was set. It looked like it was show time. Hal's voice interrupted her thought's as she turned her eyes back to the screen.  
  
Hal ignored Lex's words and before Tess could respond he pointed to the desk in front of them. "That's a nice desk, but Tess is going to need a little something not as visible if you know what I mean," he said with an exaggerated smirked as he watched Lex's jaw twitch. Oh yeah, this was definitely fun, he thought.

Dressed in his full gear, Oliver slowly slipped out of his hiding spot in the Luthor Corp. parking garage and reached for his crossbow. He aimed an arrow at the light fixture overheard and fired quickly. The arrow shattered the bulb and sent the area plunging into darkness. He waited a beat and seconds later, two guards came running in his direction, guns drawn.

Oliver fired two arrows in succession, each one piercing the guards through their shoulders as a green gas emitted from the ends. Both guards slumped to the ground and Oliver moved out of the shadows, collecting their guns and radios and tossing them in a nearby garbage can. He took the badge from one of the guard’s necks and let himself into the restricted access door.

“Watchtower, I’m in the building,” he said quietly as he kept his back to the wall. Oliver could see the door that would lead him to the basement ten feet to his left but he wanted to give Chloe time to take out the security camera trained on the door before he moved. He could hear Hal and Tess through his com device and Oliver smirked as he imagined the look on Lex’s face as they went on and on about decorations.

Tess frowned at Lex’s words. “What do you mean I don’t get to come and go as I please? Do you understand the concept of half of what’s yours is now mine?” She turned away from Lex and looked at Hal. “Can you believe him? I thought he went to college and it turns out he can barely do simple math. No wonder Queen Industries beats Luthor Corp. every single year,” she commented.

Chloe bit her bottom lip and held back a laugh as she leaned forward and glanced at the second screen. Her fingers moved quickly against the keyboard as she hacked into Luthor Corps. security feed and instead of take out the picture in the camera facing the basement she put the video feed on a loop that way no one would come looking to see why it wasn't working.  
  
A few seconds later the computer beeped and she smiled. "You're good to go Arrow. Remember straight through the door and when the hallway splits go immediately to your right." She told him while glanced at the first screen that held the schematics for the hidden room. When Oliver asked her to walk him through it, her chest had filled with warmth at him including her knowing that he could most likely do this on his own. It made her feel needed and useful. Chloe waited as Oliver started to move.  
  
Meanwhile Lex sat at his desk chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. She was crazy, she had to be. It was the only explanation. "You're very cute, really," he sent a glare in Tess's direction. "I was never very good at sharing and considering how you work for the competition I don't feel comfortable giving you that kind of access to my business, which is why my lawyer have drawn up this contract," he said pulling it from his desk and placing it at the edge with a smirk. "It's going to be a while until you actually have the rights to step foot in here regardless of owning half the company," he told her smugly.

“Lawyers again?” Tess asked. She sighed dramatically and dropped her head on Hal’s shoulder as she watched Lex seething. He could be as smug as he wanted; Tess knew it was killing him that the two of them were standing in his office and there was nothing he could do to them. She’d heard Chloe giving Oliver instructions so she knew he was already on his way to the storage room. He’d estimated that the entire thing would take him less than ten minutes so they just needed to keep Lex going awhile longer.

“Lex, aren’t you tired of handling family business through lawyers? You’re my brother and we should be able to talk face to face and settle things on our own.” Once again, Tess tried not to choke on her words. The idea of Lex being any kind of family to her was disgusting. “I do work for the competition now, but the way I see it, this is our chance to bridge that unfortunate gap between you and Oliver.” She beamed at Lex again when she saw his eyes narrow. “I’m going to sell him some of my stock! Isn’t that wonderful?”

Oliver actually laughed at that as he made his way down the narrow hallway. There were no lights to guide his path so he was relying on the night vision feature in his glasses. “Either there’s another way in here or Lex doesn’t come down here often,” he told Chloe quietly as he turned another sharp corner. He held his crossbow in front of him, but he wasn’t expecting to run into anyone on this part of the journey. The map Lana had sent showed that the passageway actually led to a storage area several feet below the basement of the building.

Chloe looked to the second screen again and pressed a few keys as she glossed over the main floor plan of the building and compared it to the one Lana sent. Her eyes fell on something strange in Lex's office and she squinted comparing the two area's and then looking back at the video feed to her left. "He must have some kind of access through his office. A tunnel or elevator that takes him directly down, it's behind one of the panels in his office I think," she said thoughtfully before glancing at Oliver's progress.  
  
"There should be a hallway to your left, take that and then keep moving straight until further notice," she told him her tone businesslike as she multi tasked on both computers. She wondered briefly if this was part of the job Victor did for Oliver. Chloe was knocked from he thoughts by Lex's voice coming through the speakers.  
  
"Are you insane?" He asked his eyes wide wondering not for the first time if Tess had maybe hit her head or forgotten who she was talking to. Just weeks ago she had said she wanted nothing to do with him and now she was actually standing there calling him her brother? His mind ran through a dozen different explanations for her change in behavior and absolutely nothing came to mind. He wasn't prepared to handle her strange outbursts and so he shook his head and pointed to the door. "You two should go, I don't know what you're playing at, but I'm done listening," he said his tone sharp.

“Copy that, Sidekick,” Oliver said. He’d studied the schematics and he knew he was nearly there. He kept his back to the wall as he reloaded his crossbow, preparing himself to face off with whatever guards Lex had down there. He paused when he saw another curve in the hallway.

The door he needed would be just on the other side and he’d have to act quickly to stop the guard from alerting anyone to what he was doing. It sounded like Lex was running out of patience and Oliver needed to get in and out before he actually found a reason to kick Tess and Hal out of his office. “Watchtower, I’m initiating radio silence until I get into the room. Standby,” he said quietly.

Tess heard Oliver’s voice in her ear and glanced at Hal. They just needed to keep this up a little bit longer. She knew Lex had had enough of her silly sibling routine so it was time to change tactics. The smile slipped from her face and she arched an eyebrow in Lex’s direction. “You really shouldn’t throw around the word ‘insane’ so lightly, Lex. I’m sure that’s a term people are going to be using with your name soon enough. This lawsuit was only the beginning. I don’t give a damn about your money or the Luthor name. I’m here to make you suffer,” she told him matter-of-factly.

Lex arched an eyebrow as he leaned back in his seat. So this was her tactic, piss him off and then threaten him? He wasn't sure how exactly this was helpful to her, but her words were definitely something he could work with. "Oh, is that so?" He asked her amusement dancing in his eyes. "It's going to be hard to do that when you're dead, which is exactly where I suspect you'll be soon." He told her nonchalantly.  
  
"I've got a special place all set up for you and Chloe...just think how lovely it'll be, the three of us." He said before glancing towards Hal. "And not even your little boy toy will be able to save you." He sent a cold smirk in her direction. Nothing would stop him from killing her...nothing.  
  
Chloe could hear the hate in Lex's voice as he spoke to Tess and she swallowed heavily. This was definitely not good. She was glad Oliver had initiated radio silence and most likely didn't hear that. Speaking of Oliver, Chloe turned her head back towards the other screen to track his progress. Chloe caught sight of his green dot and smiled, adrenaline pumping through her as she realized how close they were to ending it all.

“Now we’re getting somewhere, Lex,” Tess said. She rolled her eyes, letting him know that his threats meant nothing to her. “Don’t you ever get tired of this game, Lex? You threaten me, Hal threatens you, you threaten Chloe, Oliver threatens you…at one point does it get old?” she asked. She rubbed her thumb over Hal’s hand as she spoke, silently reminding him that he needed to keep his temper in check. They couldn’t risk Lex alerting security until they knew for sure Oliver had the tape and was out of the building.

“Do you think that’s why your wife left you?” Tess asked when Lex continued to glare at her. She had no doubt he was planning a slow, torturous death for her in his mind and that was fine. She wanted him to stay distracted. “You know even before I found out we were family, I wondered what kind of woman would marry you. I assumed Lana had some sort of mental defect but Chloe tells me that she was just misguided and fell for your lies. But she wised up in the end, didn’t she, Lex?”

Oliver pushed the door open and fired his crossbow the second he caught sight of the guard. The man went down quickly but before Oliver had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief, two more guards rushed toward him. He fired another arrow at one but the second guard reached him as his partner hit the ground. Oliver ducked as the guard attempted to punch him and rushed forward, knocking into him with his shoulder.

The guard was strong and pushed him back, landing a punch to his stomach. Oliver groaned and managed to duck the next punch. He was still too close to get off a shot so Oliver reached for one of the taser arrows he kept tucked into his glove. As the guard lunged at him again, Oliver slammed it into his shoulder. The guard crumpled to the floor with the others.

“That was pleasant,” Oliver muttered. He rubbed his hand over his stomach as he grabbed one of the guard’s badges and used it to access the double doors in front of him. A small beep sounded and the doors opened automatically as the overhead lights came on. Oliver found himself looking at a large storage room that had to run the entire length of the building. There were shelves stacked to the ceiling with boxes. He swore under his breath and pushed the button to reactivate his com.

“Watchtower, we’ve got a problem,” he said as he stared at all the shelving. “Any chance our little informant gave you a hint as to where this tape might be?”

Chloe sat frozen in her seat for a second at Tess's words, knowing that the other woman had just picked the wrong card to taunt Lex with, meaning their time was about to get cut short. She shook herself out of her thoughts as she shifted the chair towards the first screen her fingers speeding across the keys as she brought up the email from Lana, trying to see if her friend had told them where it would be. She swore under her breath.  
  
"No she didn't, hold on I'm going to see if I can get an image of the room so I can help you out." Chloe kept hacked further into the system as she attempted to bring up some kind of imaging of the room he was in. It took her less than five minutes to get a video feed redirected to that room and her eyes widened at all the stuff in there. "Jesus I had no idea Lex was such a hoarder..." She said while biting her lower lip.  
  
Chloe leaned forward moving the angle of the video feed as she pursed her lips, pausing when something caught her eye. "I want you to go to the back of the room behind the shelf on the right. I think I see the edge of a few video tapes. Take them all if you have to," she told him quietly before wincing at the shouting she heard in her ear. Lex was pissed. Her eyes turned to the other screen and she swallowed hard.  
  
Lex pushed himself slowly from his seat his eyes lethal as they glared at Tess. He reached forward and slipped his hand under the desk, his movements quick as he pulled out the gun and cocked it. He pointed it at the red head in front of him, voice hard as he spoke. "How dare you...You don't know anything about Lana or my marriage. Get the hell out of my office before I forget that people saw you coming here and I put a bullet in you head," he said harshly.

Tess swallowed hard and tightened her hand around Hal’s. She saw his other hand slide into his pocket and she knew he was reaching for his ring. She couldn’t let him expose his identity to Lex. “Fine, we’ll go,” she said. “But really Lex, you shouldn’t make your weakness so obvious. It’s never good when your enemies know your tell and make no mistake, blood relation or not, we’re enemies,” she said coldly. Tugging on Hal’s hand, she pulled him into the hallway toward the elevator. “Fight with me,” she whispered before letting go of his hand and shoving him away from her. “I’m tired of you trying to control me!” she shouted.

The Lana card had been a serious miscalculation on her part and they needed to do something to buy Oliver more time. Tess figured staging a fight in front of Lex’s assistant would lead to her calling security to have them both removed from the building. She just hoped it was enough to distract the guards long enough to give Oliver time to get out.

He could hear Lex and then Tess’s loud voices in his ear and Oliver pressed the button on the com that would isolate the feed so he would only hear Chloe’s voice. He didn’t need any other distractions. He made his way to the shelf Chloe had indicated and saw the row of tapes. There were too many for him to carry and still be able to fight if he needed to. “Watchtower, I need to try and narrow these down. Check on the guards for me,” he said as he started pulling them off the shelf to check the labels.

Chloe brought up the floor plan for the entire building so she could check the heat signatures. She could hear Tess and Hal screaming at each other in her ear as one section of the floor plan lit up red. She pressed a few keys as she spoke. "There aren't any guards near you at the moment. Several were just sent up to Lex's floor so now would be a pretty good time to leave. Are the tapes labeled?" She asked while her hands moved across the keyboard redirection video feeds and setting off small alarms in other parts of the building to keep the guards busy.  
  
"I can give you the date it happened," she said looking up the information before telling him the date and time Lionel was killed. There had to be a way to narrow down the tapes and get Oliver out of there. She winced again as Hal's voice grew louder now that the security guards were there to escort them out of the building. She made sure the coast was clear while waiting for Oliver's answer.

“I know the date,” Oliver told her quietly. He remembered everything about the moment he’d found out that the man who murdered his parents was no longer breathing. “The tapes are labeled but with Roman numerals and Latin sayings instead of dates. Leave it to Lex to always find a new way to be a pompous ass,” he muttered. Oliver translated the markings in his head as he tried to figure out what Lex’s system meant. Most of the tapes had the word love on them and he could only assume those were somehow connected to Lana. Maybe that was how she’d found out about his little clubhouse.

There were several others that had sayings related to strangers from strange lands. Oliver figured those were connected to Clark. Several more tapes were marked with curses against enemies and Oliver was starting to think he was going to have to find a way to take all of them. He grabbed the last handful of tapes and one of the labels instantly caught his eye. The phrase was one that had been drilled into their heads repeatedly in boarding school and it was loosely translated to “the son shall kill the father.” Oliver rolled his eyes. Lex was a piece of work. He slipped the tape into his belt and pressed the com device as he hurried back out the way he’d come in.

“I’ve got it Watchtower. I’m on my way back to the parking garage,” he said.

Chloe smiled. "Copy that Arrow, your path is clear for the moment, but I'd speed it up if I were you." She said lightly. She had been about to tell him she wasn't versed in Latin sayings, when he told her he found it. She should have known Oliver would be though.  
  
She took one more look at the room through the security feed and she bit her bottom lip. There were a lot of tapes there...She should talk to Lois about that. Chloe quickly shook her head. That was something she should absolutely not do. She turned back to the other screen in time to see Hal and Tess being thrown out the front doors of the building. She grinned slightly as she addressed Tess through the com. "Well...the was equal parts hilarious and frightening," she told her as she turned her eyes back to Oliver's stats.

Tess glared at Hal just in case the security guards were still watching them as they made their way across the street to where he had parked the car. She tucked her hair behind her ear and pressed the button to activate her com device. “I’m sorry,” she told Chloe as Hal unlocked the car doors. “I didn’t realize how he would react to Lana. I really thought he was going to shoot both of us. Did Oliver have enough time to get the tape?” she asked. Tess really hoped that whole thing hadn’t been for nothing. She’d never be able to forgive herself for messing things up.

“I’ve got it,” Oliver confirmed before Chloe had a chance to respond. The guards he’d knocked out with his taser arrows had still been out cold and he was currently jogging through the small passageway. “I should be out of here in the next three minutes. Go back to the clock tower. I’ll meet you in the penthouse so we can see what’s on this tape,” he said.

Hal snorted as he pulled the car door open. "He's crazy and yeah the Lana card definitely a bad call," he said before sending his girlfriend a reprimanding look. He got in pulled is seat belt on and waited for Tess to get in the car. Hal's heart had just now gone back to normal speed. A wave of fear had flown through him the minute he saw Lex point the gun at Tess. He'd moved in front of her and even as they were leaving the office and she started the fake fight all he'd been able to think about was how they could have just died.  
  
Chloe's voice knocked Hal from his thoughts as he started the car.  
  
"I'm going to let Lana know we were able to get the information and I've got all the other evidence here, plus I sent Lois copies for the article she's going to write. I'll see you guys soon," she told them before disconnecting her com from Hal and Tess.  
  
He sighed and glanced at Tess as she got into the car. "You. Okay?" He asked softly now that they were alone with no one in their ears.

“I don’t know,” Tess said. She leaned back against the seat and let out the breath she’d been holding since they’d gone into the building. She rubbed her hand over Hal’s thigh as he pulled out of the parking space and made a u-turn to take them back to the clock tower. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. He was just so smug and I was angry and I went for the jugular. I should have known he would have a gun under his desk.” She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to calm the panic that was still in her chest threatening to suffocate her. She’d wanted to push Lex’s buttons but she hadn’t meant to take things that far.

She opened her eyes and watched Hal as he drove. Tess could see that he was tense and she knew he’d been able to get some of the tension out when he’d been screaming at her earlier but that entire thing had been for show. She didn’t know if he was actually mad at her or not. “Hal, please talk to me,” she said. If he was upset, she wanted him to get it out before they got home and had to face Chloe and Oliver.

He gave her a brief sideways glance before threading his fingers through her hand that was on his thigh. He swallowed heavily and squeezed her hand gently, the tension still rolling off his body in waves. He was slightly pissed off that Tess had been antagonizing him, but he couldn't really say anything to her since he'd done a little antagonizing of his own. He brought her hand to his lips and placed a kiss there as he made a left at the light.  
  
"I was scared," He said softly. "I saw him pull out that gun and point it at you and," his voice caught in his throat as he swallowed the lump there. He loved Tess more than anything. He didn't know what he'd do if he lost her.

“Me too,” Tess said quietly when he couldn’t get the words out. She shifted closer to him, pressing a kiss to his cheek and then resting her head on his shoulder as he drove. It had been a stupid miscalculation on her part, but it was over now and they were all safe. Hopefully the tape Oliver had stolen would give them everything they needed to put Lex away. Then they could finally go back to Coast City and back to their lives. Tess knew things would be much better for her and Hal once they were home.

______

 

Chloe moved around the penthouse grabbing some water and waiting for everyone to make their way back. It had been a little over ten minutes since Oliver had initiated radio silence again and let her know he'd be back soon. The snatch and grab had gone better then she expected with the exception of Lex pulling a gun on Tess and she found that she actually enjoyed walking Oliver through the mission.  
  
It was nice to be a part of something complete with her own nickname, not that she didn't love when he called her Sidekick. Most people would hate it or think it somehow degrading, but Chloe loved it. She loved that she was the Sidekick to his Hero, because really you couldn't have one without the other. They were a team and she didn't see that changing any time soon.  
  
Her chest tightened slightly at the thought. It had been three days and she still hadn't given Oliver an answer about moving back to Star City with him. Then again they had been busy lately going over the plans to break into Luthor Corp. but once this was over and they watched the tape making sure they had the evidence, well there were no more excuses, she'd have to make a decision.  
  
The sound of the elevator knocked Chloe out of her thoughts and she moved forward placing the water bottles on the table as she grabbed one for herself twisting it open and looking over at the doors to see who had gotten back first.

Tess held Hal’s hand tightly in hers as they stepped off the elevator. The rest of the short drive to the clock tower had been silent, but for once things hadn’t been tense and Tess hoped that was a good sign. Hal had kissed her until she was breathless after he’d parked the car and she’d given serious thought to just pulling him into their apartment and letting Chloe and Oliver handle everything else. But they’d come this far and it was important for them to see things through.

“Hey,” she greeted Chloe as they made their way into the living room.

Chloe smiled as she they walked into the room. “Hey, how are you guys holding up?” She asked lightly as she motioned to the bottled water to see if they wanted some. She knew it couldn’t have been easy for Tess to go in there especially with Hal. “You guys did a really great job in there,” She told them before sitting on the couch moving the water bottle back and forth in her hand.

Hal tugged Tess towards the love seat and plopped down. “Yes I always enjoy guns being pointed at my girlfriend,” He said before releasing some of the tension in his body and sending Chloe an apologetic look. “Sorry,” He said quickly.

She gave him half a smile and shrugged. “No big deal,” She told him as she glanced at the elevator before pursing her lips and looking back at the couple across from her.

“He really didn’t mean that,” Tess said as she settled on the couch beside Hal and reached for one of the water bottles. “Things were just a lot more stressful than we bargained for which is my fault.” She threaded her fingers through Hal’s. “But if that tape shows what we think it does, all of this will be worth it,” she said. There really was no other option at this point. Tess bit down on the corner of her lip and wondered if everything she’d said to Lex was going to come back to haunt her.  

The balcony doors opened and Oliver walked into the apartment, pushed back his hood and pulled off his glasses. “There’s a zoo of reporters downstairs,” he grumbled. It was always risky sporting his Green Arrow gear during the daylight hours but the media circus currently tracking Tess’s every move had made it difficult for him to get back into the building.

Chloe glanced over towards the balcony and she smiled slightly tilting her head to the side as her eyes roamed over Oliver. He looked pretty damn good in green leather and tights. She had been slightly worried when Hal and Tess made it back to the penthouse before him, but the reporters being downstairs explained it. She gave him a light smile as Hal glanced over his shoulder.

He frowned at his best friend. “There are reporters down there?” He asked his brows furrowing. “I didn’t see any when Tess and I came in.” He glanced at his girlfriend tightening his hand around hers. “Did you see them outside?” He asked. He was slightly determined to make it back to the building quick it was possible he missed them.

Tess nodded. “I saw a few vans driving up as we were pulling into the parking garage.” She squeezed Hal’s hand and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “I’m sure someone from Luthor Corp. called them after our spectacular meltdown. The rumors will be all over the papers tomorrow of our breakup and I can only imagine what else Lex will be saying about us,” she muttered. 

“If this tape shows what we think it does, Lex will be the one on the covers of all the papers,” Oliver said. He put the tape in the VCR and hit the button to rewind it. He took the remote and sat down on the arm of the chair as he met Chloe’s eyes. “Ready?” he asked. He couldn’t help but feel tense as he waited for the tape to get to the beginning. They were putting everything they had into this and if the tape didn’t show Lex killing Lionel, Oliver had no idea where they were supposed to go from him.

She nodded while reaching up and placing a hand on his leg, her eyes on the TV. “Ready.” She told him softly as they waited for the tape to finished rewinding. A few seconds later it clicked and Chloe watched as Oliver pushed play. She sucked in a breath, her eyes glued to the screen.

Hal leaned forward slightly, his hand resting on Tess’s knee as his fingers bit into her skin lightly. He swallowed hard his eyes watching the screen as Lionel and Lex fought. This moved quickly and several minutes later it happened. His eyes widened as all four of them watched Lex push Lionel out the window. Hal’s chest tightened slightly, but relief filled his entire body. They got the bastard.

Chloe let out a long breath as Oliver rewound the tape just a little bit and played it again. She couldn’t believe they had it. Right there in front of them. The evidence that would put Lex away for years, finally ending this mess once and for all and keeping the people she cared about safe. She felt some of the weight lift off her shoulders as she squeezed Oliver’s leg lightly. “We did it,” She whispered.

“We did,” Oliver said quietly. He wrapped his arms tighter around Chloe and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. He still couldn’t believe it. Oliver felt like he’d been trying his whole life to bring down Lex and now he was actually looking at the indisputable evidence that would put him away for the rest of his sorry life. “We need to get this to the police but we have to make sure it’s someone who is not on Lex’s payroll. Does Lois or Clark have someone who we can go to who we can trust with this?” Oliver had plenty of contacts within the Star City police department that he called when Green Arrow had a tip 

Tess stood up quickly. Her chest was tight and she couldn’t explain the feelings that were making it hard for her to breathe. “Can you excuse me for a minute?” She didn’t wait for an answer. She let go of Hal and hurried off to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Hal frowned glancing at Chloe and Oliver briefly before pushing himself off the couch and following Tess into the other room. He made his way to the bathroom quickly and knocked on the door, anxiety filling in the pit of his stomach. He had no idea what was going on, but she should be happy and instead she had looked like she was about to throw up. When there was no answer Hal knocked again “Tess...Tess open the door,” He said anxiously.

She let out a shaky breath and turned the knob to open the door so Hal could step into the small room with her. Tess felt guilty when she saw the concern on his face. She hadn’t meant to scare him but she wasn’t really sure how to explain what had come over her. “Hal, I’m sorry. I just...watching that video…” Tess’s voice trailed off and she shook her head as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes.

How could she be sad over a man who had murdered her best friend’s parents? She wasn’t. Lionel Luthor deserved to die and rot hell just like his son deserved to spend the rest of his life in prison. But her mind couldn’t seem to get past the fact that he was her father and if it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t be standing there.

Hal swallowed hard and nodded as he pulled her into his arms and ran a hand over his back. He had wondered how she was going to handle this. He knew Tess didn’t want to be a Luthor, but that didn’t change the fact that technically she was and on some level watching that tape had to hurt. He wished there was something he could do or say to make it better for her, but he wasn’t sure there was.

He continued to run his hand over her back as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “It’s okay to feel bad,” He told her quietly know it had to be hard to have so many conflicting emotions going through her at once.

“Is it?” Tess asked as she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against him. “I feel like I’m siding with the devil, Hal.” She swallowed hard as she tried to rein in her emotions. “I’m not sorry he’s dead and I’m not even sorry he died the way he did.” She pulled back a little so she could meet Hal’s eyes.

“He never wanted me and that was probably a good thing. My childhood was miserable but I can only imagine how much worse it would have been if I’d grown up a Luthor. But part of me feels bad, Hal. What am I supposed to do with that? How am I supposed to go back out there and tell Oliver that a part of me feels bad for the man who murdered his parents?” Her lip trembled as a few tears slipped from her eyes. “It’s disgusting.”

Hal sighed brushing his thumb under her eyes wiping her tears away as he tilted her head up so he could look into her eyes. “It’s not disgusting,” He said softly, “It is what it is and Oliver has known you long enough to not take offense to a part of you feeling bad Tess, you know that.” He told her quietly. He understood why she thought it was disgusting and he was obviously not a fan of the Luthor’s, but he also wasn’t related to them either.

“It’s okay to feel bad...you might not like it, but Lionel was your blood and even though he deserved to die...No one really deserves to be pushed out of the window by their own kid,” he said with a shrug.

Tess nodded. She knew Hal was right and she was just overreacting. This was just a lot to take in and she hadn’t been expecting to have a reaction at all. “Thank you,” she told him sincerely. Tess cupped his cheek in her hands and kissed him softly. “I don’t mean just for this right now. You’ve been amazing through this entire thing and I know it’s been difficult. I love you so much, Hal. I hope you know that.”

She knew she’d basically been putting him through hell for months and not only had it put a strain on their relationship, but it had affected his friendship with Oliver. Now it was finally going to be over and she was so grateful that he’d been by her side through everything.

Hal tilted his head to the side and kissed her palm before meeting her eyes. He knew this had been hard on both of them and he didn’t exactly make it easy on her. “You don’t need to thank me for being here. I love you Tess, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” He told her softly. “But since you mentioned it I am kind of amazing aren’t I?” He asked with a wink, a hint of humor dancing in his eyes as he attempted to break the tension surrounding them.

“Incredibly,” Tess agreed. She pressed another kiss to his lips and then pulled out of his arms. She turned on the water and washed her face. Taking a deep breath, she took Hal’s hand and opened the door. As they walked back into the living room, she could see the concern on Oliver and Chloe’s faces and she felt guilty all over again. “I’m sorry,” she said.

“Don’t be,” Oliver replied. He’d been confused when Tess had run off but he figured it had something to do with the tape. He hated Lionel Luthor more than he’d ever hated anyone, but he understood that he was Tess’s biological father and that probably wasn’t easy for her to deal with at the moment. He offered Tess a reassuring smile before turning back to Chloe. “Sidekick, you never answered my question. Do you know if Lois or Clark know someone we can trust?” he asked.

Chloe rubbed the back of her neck and nodded. “Yeah, actually I think Clark knows the perfect person. We can give it to him and rest assured it will go to the right people,” She told him quietly still not really able to believe they finally had proof that was going to put Lex away. She should probably call Lois and let her know. She shook herself out of her thoughts and glanced away from the TV and towards Oliver. “Maybe I should call Clark?” She asked as she arched an eyebrow at her boyfriend.

“That’s a good idea,” Oliver said. The sooner they got the video into the hands of the police, the sooner Lex would be out of their lives for good. “I’m going to change while you do that.” He glanced at Hal and Tess who were still standing in the entryway. “You two can stay if you want,” he offered. Oliver could see that Tess was still upset and he didn’t want to push if she’d rather leave.

Tess shook her head. “We’re actually going to go. It’s been a long afternoon of almost getting shot and stuff.” She gave Oliver a small smile. “Thank you, though, for everything. I know this has been a long time coming and I’m glad there was something I could do to help. I can’t wait to see pictures of Lex behind bars,” she said.

Hal slung an arm over Tess’s shoulder before nodding in Chloe and Oliver’s direction and guiding his girlfriend into the elevator. Chloe waved as she watched them go before getting up and calling Clark. The phone call lasted less than fifteen minutes. She explained the plan they had and how they found the tape and what they wanted to do now to him and then to Lois.

Clark agreed to talk to John Jones and Chloe told him that she’d drop the tape off to him tomorrow. She tossed the phone aside and moved back over towards the couch, staring at the TV again while Oliver changed. She still couldn’t believe they were finally going to be able to nail Lex.

Oliver returned to the living room a few minutes later wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. He sat down on the couch beside Chloe, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body against his. He didn’t say anything for a few minutes, just sat there and held her as he thought about how much things had changed in the span of a few hours. They finally had enough evidence to send Lex Luthor to prison after all these years of pain and torment. Thanks to one videotape and a bunch of invoices for black market purchases, justice was finally going to prevail. 

“It doesn’t seem real,” he said finally. Oliver ran his hand through her hair, letting his fingers tease her curls. “We’ve got enough to put Lex away on murder charges, Chloe. He won’t be able to hurt anyone else ever again.”

Chloe lifted her legs and curled into his side while resting a hand against his chest. “I know...I feel like there should be more too it...Ollie,” She paused trying to get her thoughts together. “I can’t believe it’s finally over,” She told him softly. “I’m not sure I know what a life without Lex is like.” She gave him a small smile and pressed a kiss against his jaw.

“Hopefully it’s peaceful,” Oliver replied. His hand tightened in her hair as he brought his other hand up to cover hers on his chest. He knew there was always going to be more evil in the world and it would be up to them to stop it, but having Lex in a safe place where he couldn’t hurt anyone was a good start. “You did a great job today, Watchtower,” he said as he pressed his lips against her temple.

“How did it feel?” he asked curiously. Oliver knew Chloe was good at what she did and she was no stranger to being in on the action but he knew it was a different scenario to monitor all the players and see things that they didn’t and anticipate multiple reactions while keeping everyone safe.

Chloe bit her bottom lip and rested her chin against his shoulder. “Actually I really enjoyed it.” She told him lightly. “It was different, but not in a bad way, you know?” She asked lightly trying to figure out how to explain what she meant. “I liked being able to see what was going on and oh my god the things I can do with that system,” Her words trailed off and she let out a dreamy sigh as she moved her hand down his stomach and under his shirt, resting her warm palm against his skin.  “I don’t know how to explain it,” She said softly, “But I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to helping out again.”

“Good because even with Lex out of the way, there are still a lot of other bad guys out there who are just waiting to be a huge pain in the ass,” Oliver said. His stomach muscles clenched under her light touch and he had to force himself to concentrate on what he wanted to say before his mind went elsewhere.

“Chloe, no matter what you decide about Star City, I want you to be a part of the team.” Oliver had meant what he’d told her about giving her as much time as she wanted to make up her mind and he wasn’t going to push her for an answer but he wanted her to know that she would always have a place with the team. She had earned that.

Chloe hesitated as she moved closer to his body and rested her head against his chest. “I appreciate that,” She told him quietly, not exactly liking the way his words came out. She paused for a second needing to know what they meant. “And if I decide I can’t go…where do we go from there?” She asked. Chloe hadn’t made up her mind one way or the other yet, but she needed to know where his head was at.

“What do you mean?” Oliver asked, confused. “Are you talking about as far as the team is concerned or us?” He had to assume from her hesitation that she was talking about their relationship, but he wanted to be sure before he answered her question. Oliver didn’t want there to be any miscommunication between them. It was too easy to get wires crossed and have a misunderstanding.

“Between us,” She said her voice soft as she caressed his stomach lightly. Chloe knew he wanted her to be part of the, there was no question about that. But for some reason now that things were slowly coming to an end she couldn’t help the anxiety she felt in the pit of her stomach. If she didn’t go to Star City would their relationship survive? Chloe remembered how he said he loved her and they’d work it out, but it was getting closer to that time. She still hadn’t made a decision and she was terrified of making the wrong one.

“Chloe, if you decide to stay in Metropolis nothing has to change between us,” Oliver said. He stroked her hair as he wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. “I mean it won’t be exactly the same because we won’t be together every day, but I’m still going to love you and want to see you as often as I can.” He kissed the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her hair. He loved her so much and he hated the thought of them being separated for any length of time, but he wouldn’t blame Chloe if she decided to stay. He was asking her to make a huge change in her life and he didn’t expect her to decide on a whim. “I promise you we’ll find a way to make it work.”

She gave him half a smile as she buried her face in his neck placing several light kisses there. “I love you too. I know I’ve been taking a while to decide what I’m going to do but I promise I’ll decide soon.” She said while meeting his eyes. Chloe didn’t want to keep him waiting, but she couldn’t seem to stick with an answer at this point. She needed to talk to her cousin she would be able to help her figure things out.

“I don’t mind waiting for you,” Oliver said. He closed the distance between them and kissed her softly, drawing it out as his lips lingered over hers. Oliver wanted her to say yes and move to Star City with him more than anything, but he knew it had to be her decision. He didn’t want to pressure her into coming with him because she’d only end up resenting him.

He knew that even if she said no now there was always a chance she could change her mind in the future. But he wasn’t going to worry about any of that for the moment. “What do you say we go upstairs and take advantage of this alone time before someone or something shows up to distract us?” he suggested.

Chloe grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck as she tilted her head to the side. “I say that’s the best idea you’ve had tonight Hero,” She said lightly before gripping his cheeks and placing a long drawn out kiss there. When she pulled back there was a hint of mischief in her eyes. “Feel like giving a girl a lift?” She asked lightly while pressing a kiss to his chin.

Oliver grinned. “I think that can be arranged.” He stood up and lifted her into his arms, wrapping one arm around her back and placing the other one under her knees. He rubbed his nose against hers and pressed another kiss to her lips before carrying her up the stairs. They’d stopped the bad guy and now it was time to put the rest of the world on hold for awhile. Oliver was pretty sure he would have to kill someone if they were interrupted.


	22. Chapter 22

Lois absently reached for her coffee cup with one hand while she attempted to type with the other. The phone she had resting between her neck and shoulder slipped and she quickly moved her shoulder to catch it before she missed what her source was telling her. Lois brought the cup to her lips and frowned when she realized there wasn’t even one drop in it. She made a face and let the empty cup fall to her desk as she resumed typing with both hands.

Her source finished answering her questions and she thanked him, put the phone back in its cradle and quickly typed out her initial impressions of him to go along with her quotes. She hit save and leaned back in her seat, letting out a long sigh even as a smile crossed her face. It had been a hectic few days but she was finally starting to feel like a reporter again and she loved it.

She had to hand it to Tess. As soon as Lex was arrested, Tess had gone into overdrive to fix all the messes he’d made starting with the Daily Planet. She had arranged for Perry White to come to Metropolis and take over as editor just in time for Lois to have her article ready on the anonymous person who had brought down Lex Luthor with black market transactions and a very telling videotape that the television media had been playing ad museum of Lex pushing his father to his death.

People were outraged and suddenly all the politicians and city officials who had been in Lex’s pockets over the years were doing everything they could to keep their distance including siding with Tess as she made changes to Luthor Corp. that included a merger with Queen Industries to make things easier on her. Some of the board members had protested, but Tess had enough votes to get what she wanted.  
  
Lois smirked at the thought of Lex sitting in his jail cell cursing all of them as they went on with their lives and took apart the company he was so proud of. It was nice knowing the sick bastard was finally getting everything he deserved. She shook herself out of her thoughts and was about to get up for more coffee when she heard someone call her name. She glanced up and smiled when she saw Chloe making her way through the newsroom toward her.  
  
“Hey cuz,” she called brightly. “What brings you here?” Lois hadn’t seen much of Chloe since her cousin had given Clark the videotape and other evidence for John Jones. She knew she was busy helping Oliver and Tess with the merger.

Chloe smiled and held up her hands, two cups of coffee in them as she walked around a few move desks before making her way to Lois’s. She stopped next to her cousin, a smile on her face. “Thought I’d stop by see how my favorite cousin was doing with the new editor and what not,” She said casually though there was a slight hint of tension in her shoulders.

She placed one of the cups down on the desk before grabbing the chair from behind her and pulling it over to Lois’s desk so she could sit down. Things had been busy the past few days with the merger and Lex being taking into custody and she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Lois about Oliver. Something that she needed to do in order to gain a little perspective now that things were finally starting to calm down.

She had overheard Oliver and Tess talking the other day about how things were falling into place a lot quicker than they originally thought they would, which meant they’d be leaving sooner than expected. The thought made Chloe’s heart clenched. She couldn’t let Oliver leave Metropolis without having an answer for him, which was part of the reason she wanted to see Lois. Chloe shook herself out of her thoughts and smiled at her cousin. “How’s the story coming?”

“Which one?” Lois asked cheerfully as she grabbed the coffee her cousin had set down and took a long sip. “Yum, that’s good.” She took another drink and then set it down before she swallowed the whole thing. “I’m working on three stories right now, four if you count the one I’m helping Clark with so he can do his thing.” She lowered her voice for the last part of her sentence and nodded toward Clark’s empty chair.

He’d heard sirens two states over this morning and had been gone for hours. “All of them are going great and you have no idea how nice it is to actually care about what I’m writing for a change.” Lois paused and considered that. “Actually, you probably do. Hey, now that we have a real editor, are you going to reapply or are you going to stick with the job where you’re sleeping with the boss?” she asked.  
  
Her voice was teasing, but her question was serious. Lois knew there was a time when Chloe had wanted to be a reporter more than she wanted to breathe. She also knew her cousin had grown up a lot since then and her life had taken a bunch of unexpected turns. Lois wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t want to come back. She knew Chloe enjoyed the job she did for Oliver and she had even before the two of them had gotten involved.

Chloe hesitated, that thought had actually never crossed her mind, but she supposed if Lex wasn’t around, with the articles she had under her belt she could probably apply for a job at the Planet and get re-hired. It didn’t hurt that she knew Perry, but Chloe wasn’t sure if that was what she wanted. Though she wasn’t sure working for Queen Industries is what she wanted either. Her brows furrowed and she blinked attempting to clear her head. One problem at a time, she thought.

“Actually I’m not sure...I might have a reason for making my way here today other than checking on you,” She told her sheepishly. Chloe took a deep breath and leaned in, her voice lowering slightly to make sure if anyone was around they couldn’t hear what she was saying. “Oliver asked me to move to Star City with him,” She said softly her eyes never leaving her cousin’s face as she waited for her reaction.

Lois’s eyes widened and she opened and closed her mouth a few times, not sure what to say. “Wow, cuz, you certainly know how to get my attention,” she teased. Lois reached for her coffee again and tried to process how huge that was. She hadn’t given much thought to the fact that Oliver didn’t actually live in Metropolis and she supposed it made sense that he’d want Chloe to live with him considering they’d already been living together for months. Lois didn’t love the idea of her cousin and best friend being several states away, but she knew how happy Oliver made Chloe so she would live with it.  
  
But she noticed Chloe wasn’t telling her that she was moving. Lois raised an eyebrow as she took in the uncertainty she saw in her cousin’s eyes and she knew Chloe was waiting for her to say something. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that this is huge,” she said. “What did you say?” she asked.

Chloe gnawed on her bottom lip and let out a short sigh. “I know...It’s very huge. I haven’t given him an answer yet.” She said quietly. “I love him Lois, but I’m scared. I mean picking up and moving across country when we’ve barely been together five months...Is that crazy?” She asked her softly, a hint of panic welling in her chest. “What if I go and it doesn’t work? What then? I don’t know anyone there...and I’ll be so far from you and Clark...and what about work?” She asked while pursing her lips. “I can’t work at Queen Industries forever...I mean I enjoy the work, but you know me...I get bored easily and I’m not the cooped up in an office type person.” She said quietly before glancing down at her hands.

“He says he’ll wait as long as he needs to for my answer,” Her voice was soft as her chest tightened. “And that no matter what I say we’ll be okay. If I don’t want to go then we can do the long distance thing...but Lois the thought of not seeing him everyday makes my heart ache. Like...” She glanced up trying to find the right words as distress filled her face. “It actually _hurts_...I just don’t know what to do.” She whispered while giving her cousin a pleading look. “What do I do?”

“Chloe, you know I can’t decide for you,” Lois said softly. She hated seeing her cousin so upset, but it wasn’t her choice to make. She reached for Chloe’s hand and held it tightly in both of hers. “You have to decide what’s best for you and what you really want. It’s not about how long you’ve been together or even about your job. I know this is going to sound strange coming from me, but work is not everything. I don’t think that should be a factor in your decision because whether you want to go back to being a reporter or you want to keep working for Oliver or you want to do something completely different, where you live doesn’t matter.” She gave Chloe a moment to process that before she continued.

“I know you love him, Chlo and from what I’ve seen he’s an amazing guy and it makes me happy that he makes you so happy. It’s good that he’s giving you time to think about all this and not putting pressure on you. It is possible to have a relationship long distance. People do it all the time,” Lois pointed out. She tried to imagine what it would be like for her not to see Clark every day. There were times when they were both so busy they barely had more than five minutes together, but they still saw each other every day. She didn’t think she could give that up. But this wasn’t about her and she knew Chloe needed to make her own choice based on what was best for her relationship.

Chloe could feel the emotion building in her chest as moisture prickled at the corner of her eyes. She nodded her head and pursed her lips. She knew Lois was right and she had to make the decision herself, but she had been hoping that her cousin at least had some advice to help her make the right choice. "I know, it's just every time I start to think I've made a decision, I wind up second guessing myself." She told her softly.  
  
"I know what I want," she said while catching Lois's eyes. "But I'm scared Lois." She said finally admitting what's been bothering her all along. Chloe wanted Oliver more than anything. She wanted to wake up to him every morning and go to bed with him every night, but she was scared of taking that final step. Of leaving the place she'd grown up and venturing into the unknown without Lois or even Clark by her side.  
  
At least in Metropolis if things didn't work out or something happened she'd have things to fall back on, friends, family. In Star City all she would have was Oliver and that was a frightening thought, not because she didn't trust that he'd always be there if she needed him, but because the thought of relying on him that much scared her.

Lois nodded. The look on Chloe’s face told her everything she needed to know. Lois had a feeling Chloe had already made her choice and was just afraid of what it would mean. “No matter what happens, Clark and I will always be here for you,” she said quietly. Lois could feel tears brimming in the corners of her eyes and she quickly blinked them back. This was a good thing and she was not going to make her cousin second guess herself more than she already was by bursting into tears.

“Trust what you feel for Oliver and what he feels for you,” Lois said. She squeezed Chloe’s hand and offered her cousin a warm smile. “I’m serious, Chlo. We could play the ‘what if’ game until we’re blue in the face but none of us have a way to predict the future. But when has either of us ever let fear stop us from doing anything? It’s not the Sullivan-Lane way,” she said.

Chloe laughed lightly through the tears in her eyes. "That's for sure," she said the smile slipped from her face as she swallowed hard. "Who will I have lunch with...and take coffee breaks with, and gush about Oliver with," she said lightly with a smile on her lips, but tears in her eyes. Ever since Lois had made her way to smallville eight years ago they had practically been inseparable and even these past few months when they didn't spend a lot of time together, Chloe knew if she really needed Lois she was just a car drive away.  
  
But now...It would be so much more than that. She knew there was always Clark, but she couldn't use her best friend as her own personal taxi ever time she needed to see Lois. It wouldn't be fair. Chloe wiped her eyes quickly before any tears could fall and then pulled Lois into a hug. "You're so much more then a cousin to me Lo," she said softly. "You're my best friend and I love you. Thanks for always being there for me." She whispered.

“Damnit,” Lois muttered as the tears she’d been struggling with started to fall. She hugged Chloe back, holding her cousin as tightly as she could and ignoring all the nosy people looking at them. “You’re my best friend too and I love you. I want you to tell Oliver that I don’t care how many states away you are, if he hurts you, I will find him and kill him. Killing is too nice actually.” Lois pulled back and gave Chloe a warning look so she would see how serious she was as she brushed her tears away.

“We’ll work out the other stuff. We’ll have huge phone bills and you know Clark will bring me there whenever I want him too which will be really often. You should ask Oliver to set up a guest room for me.” Lois paused. “Hmm, maybe you should ask him before you pass along my threat. It’s just better that way,” she reasoned.

Chloe chuckled as she wiped away her own tears again. "God I'm sorry," she said while trying to pull herself together. "It's just..." She paused more tears pooling in her eyes. "You're the only family I have who hasn't left and who's never judged me even when you found out about the meta human thing." She told her swallowing hard. "And now I'm leaving you and this isn't how it's supposed to go you know?" She said getting herself worked up again before shaking her head.  
  
"I'm being silly," she told Lois as she smile through her tears. It wasn't like she'd never see Lois again. She was only a phone call away and there was Clark and Oliver had said they could visit Metropolis and there was even video conferencing. Lois could visit and they could have girl nights together and watch stupid movies while eating a ton of junk for or going out for drinks. Or maybe they were both getting too old for that kind of thing anyway, even though deep down Chloe didn't think she ever me too old to grab a carton of ice cream and gossip with her cousin while they watched a movie.

Lois nodded sharply, giving herself a minute to swallow the lump that was quickly rising in her throat. This was going to be hard. Sure, now that they weren’t sharing an apartment, Lois had gone for long stretches without seeing Chloe when they were both busy with their jobs. But she knew she had the option of heading over to her place whenever she wanted to. Lois knew she would still have that option, but it was going to take more than a quick ride. Of course, Clark could get her to Star City faster than she could drive to Oliver’s place here, but that wasn’t the point.

“You’re all the family I’ve got too,” she said quietly. Lois knew her dad and her sister loved her in their own ways, but not the way Chloe did. She counted on her cousin more than anyone and she had no intention of letting that change. “This is the end, Chlo. We’re still going to see each other a lot and we’ll probably talk more than we do now. I’ll still want every little detail about your relationship with Oliver no matter how inappropriate you think my questions are,” she teased.

Chloe nodded as she squeezed Lois's hand. "Of course this isn't the end. And you're questions really are completely inappropriate sometimes," she teased, "And I know I give you a hard time sometimes about that, but you're the only person I'd want to share stuff like that with." She said lightly before swallowing heavily.  
  
"If I go, before I leave you owe me one of our all night bonding sessions, so you'll have to kick Clark out for the night," She told her lightly.   
  
Chloe was pretty sure she had know all along what her decision was going to be, she had just been too scared to admit it. She still wasn't quite sure she was ready yet. She would give it until the end of the day, just for the thought to settle, but a part of her knew she wouldn't change her mind again.

“I think we both know it’s ‘when’ not ‘if’ you go, Chlo,” Lois said gently. “But I agree on the girls’ night being a must. I’m sure there will be some emergency somewhere for Clark to take care of in between bringing us junk food,” she teased. Lois was mostly kidding. She knew Clark had more important things to do than run to the store for her, but she also knew he didn’t mind. She really loved that man. Lois shook her head to clear away her distracting thoughts and focused on Chloe.

“I’m really proud of you,” she told her. “I know I was skeptical when you first came to me with the Lex stuff and I was worried that you were going to end up getting hurt. But you made it through in one piece and you put the bastard behind bars where he’s going to rot.” Lois smirked at the thought. “You’re pretty amazing, Chlo.”

Chloe's face softened and she shook her head. "I didn't do that. _we_ did." She smiled her eyes once again getting watery. "You backed me up no questions asked like you always do," she said quietly. "And because of that we were able to get the information we needed. Plus Lana really came through with the information on the room, Green Arrow, who grabbed the tape," she said a hint of mischief in her eyes, "Tess and Hal...It was basically a group effort. We *all* put that bastard away." She said with a grin.  
  
"But thanks, for saying I'm amazing, you're kinda amazing too." She told her before pausing as she shifted in her chair. "Who's going to be my partner in crime and investigate things with me when you're all the way in Metropolis?" She asked with a sigh before sending a sheepish look in her cousin's direction. "Sorry."

“Don’t worry, cuz, I have no doubt will find a way to get in trouble together even in different states,” Lois teased. She hugged Chloe again and tried to get a grip on her emotions. She would miss Chloe a lot, but she wanted her cousin to be happy and being with Oliver made her happier than Lois had ever seen her. She knew Chloe was scared because it was a huge change but Lois was confident everything would work out exactly as it was supposed to. She pulled back and smiled at Chloe.

“You know I’m sure Perry would understand if I took an early lunch with my favorite cousin,” Lois said. She figured she could just stay late and finish up her stories if she needed to. “Come on, let’s go get a burger. Or maybe Chinese food,” she suggested. “Maybe we can find some trouble to get into before you leave.” She winked at Chloe as she locked her computer and reached for her purse.

Chloe Laughed and nodded, picking up her coffee and standing slowly. "I could eat, " she told her lightly as Lois stood. Chloe linked her arm with her cousin's and smirked as they headed for the stairs. "I'm sure if anyone can find trouble on their lunch break it's us," she said affectionately some of the tension easing from her shoulders as she tightened her grip on Lois. Chloe was pretty sure she was going to miss her cousin the most.

 

______

 

Hal moved down the street taking the last bite of his hot dog, Oliver at his side. It was a little after one and they were making their way towards the jewelry store in his home town. He had woken Oliver up this morning and told his friend that he needed help running a few errands.  
  
Oliver hadn't been thrilled to be woken up, but despite his grumbling he had gotten up and agreed to go. Hal hadn't told Oliver where they were going until they got to the airport and the look on his friends face had been quite amusing.  
  
He tossed his garbage in one of the cans on the street before pointing in the direction of the store on the other side of the street. "There it is," he told his friend, "They said they'd have the ring ready." Hal swallowed heavily anxiety filled his stomach the closer they got to the store. Hal was nervous, not about his decision, but about asking Tess to marry him.  
  
In the five years they'd been together, neither of them had ever brought up marriage, which now seemed a bit odd to him. He knew Tess loved him, there was no question about that, but he was afraid maybe she wasn't ready for marriage or maybe she didn't want it at all.  
  
Hell, Hal hadn't even realized it was something he wanted until recently. The month before Chloe had come into the picture he and Tess went to a family barbecue at his brother's house and as he watched her play with his nephew, Hal realized he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.  
  
It had been a strange feeling, but the more he watched her that night the more he wanted to be able to call her his wife and maybe one day the Mother of his children. It had been a sobering moment in his life and a week later he'd gone out to look for the perfect ring. Hal shook his head at the memories and glanced at his friend when he felt the other mans eyes on him. He arched an eyebrow. "What?"

“Nothing, you’re cute when you’re nervous,” Oliver teased. The look on Hal’s face was a cross between horror and adoration so Oliver could only imagine what was going on in his mind. He’d been less than thrilled when Hal had more or less kidnapped him for a quick trip to California, but he’d calmed down once Hal had told him why he needed to go home right away and not wait a week or so until they were all going back anyway. Oliver was happy that Hal had asked him to join him because he knew how important this moment was for his best friend and since things had been rocky lately, it meant a lot that he still wanted him to be a part of this.

“You do realize that picking up the ring is the easy part, right?” Oliver asked. He finished the bottle of water in his hand and tossed it in a recycling bin as he motioned for Hal to cross the street with him toward the store. “You’re going to have to work on your game face or Tess is going to think you’re breaking up with her if you look at her this way.” He patted Hal on the back and urged him forward. “She’s going to say yes,” he said confidently.

Hal swallowed hard. "Says you," he snorted before pouting slightly as he paused right outside the store. "What if she says no...what will happen? Does that mean we break up?" The thought sent him into an immediate panic as his chest tightened and his face paled. "Remind me again why I thought this was a good idea," he asked his voice strained.  
  
Hal loved Tess, he just needed to push past his irrational thoughts and be a man. He took a deep breath and glanced at Oliver. "You don't think I'm crazy do you? For wanting to marry Tess?" He asked him a hint of uncertainty on his face. "I know whenever we talked about marriage in the past I always told you it wasn't something I was interested in...so as my best friend I need you to tell me I'm making the right call here." He told Oliver quietly. "Tess means everything to me. She makes me want things I never knew I wanted. I just don't want to scare her off. I know she loves me, but I have no idea where her head is on marriage."

Oliver’s eyes widened at the pure panic he heard in Hal’s voice. He stepped in front of him, gripped him by the shoulders and shook him. “Snap out of it,” he ordered. Oliver met Hal’s eyes, wanting his friend to look at him so he could see how serious he was as he spoke. “Hal, I know Tess. She will say yes,” he repeated.

Oliver was a little surprised that the subject of marriage hadn’t come up in the five years they’d been together, but he knew Tess had been skittish to trust anyone for a long time and Hal had always been cautious when it came to relationships after watching his dad die and seeing his own serious relationship disintegrate. Oliver knew they were solid now and he had a feeling he was going to mean a lot to Tess to know that Hal had come to this conclusion on his own and surprised her instead of having some long, drawn out discussion over whether or not they were ready.

“You’re not crazy to want to marry Tess,” Oliver told him, careful to keep his voice calm so he wouldn’t send Hal further over the edge. “She’s amazing and she loves your sorry ass more than anything.” He grinned and clapped Hal on the shoulder. “Stop thinking the worst,” he said. “Everything is going to work out and she’s going to say yes.”

Hal let out a long sigh and gave Oliver a small smile as he patted him on the back. “Thanks man, I needed that.” he told him lightly. He knew his friend was right and he was having a panic attack over nothing. He needed to get rid of some of the tension surrounding him so he straightened up slightly and smirked.

“Obviously I wouldn’t have gotten a ring if I thought she was gonna say no…I’m Hal and I’m awesome,” He joked. “Who wouldn’t want to marry me?” He asked lightly before nodding and pulling open the door to the jewelry store and holding it open for his friend.

“I could make a list but this is already taking a big chunk out of my day,” Oliver teased as he walked through the door Hal was holding open. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, glancing around the store as Hal followed him inside. Oliver looked at the display cases as Hal walked to the counter to talk to the sales associate. His eyes landed on a jade bracelet with tiny diamonds embedded across it.

Oliver leaned over the case to take a closer look as he imagined it on Chloe’s wrist. It was simple but still elegant and he could already hear her voice in his head telling him that it was too much. But he wanted her to have it. He hoped it would be a “thanks for moving across the country” with me present but Oliver knew it might end up being a “don’t forget me and I’ll see you soon” gift instead.

Oliver was running out of reasons to stay in Metropolis. Things were running like clockwork at Queen Industries and Tess had signed all the contracts for the merger. They’d had several meetings with the Luthor Corp. board members to let them know there were changes coming. He wanted Chloe to take her time and he wasn’t going to pressure her, but there was a part of him that was starting to think she wouldn’t be waiting this long if she was going to say yes. He shook himself out of his thoughts and turned to see what Hal was doing. “Did she get the ring?” he asked, noting the sales associate had disappeared from behind the counter.

Hal nodded and pointed to the back. “She’s getting it now,” He said his nerves once again picking up as he ran a hand through his hair and shook his head while glancing at Oliver. “I swear to god I’ve never been this nervous in my entire life,” he said before lowering his voice, “Not even when I was fighting that evil alien guy who tried to destroy Coast City.” He whispered, “And I thought I was going to die,” He said dramatically.

“I’m Hal, I might have more confidence than _you_ and that’s saying something. Why am I being such a girl about this?” He asked while scrunching his nose. “Tess loves me…so why do I feel like I’m going to throw up?” He asked slightly baffled, his stomach clenching as he heard the woman calling out from the back saying it would be another minute.

“Relax,” Oliver said. He clapped Hal on the back again and wished he’d kept the paper bag his lunch had come in so he could give it to Hal to breathe into. “You’re getting yourself worked up over nothing. Tess loves you and she’s not going to say no. Odds are better than another alien will try to obliterate the city than they are that she would turn you down. Just think of it that way,” he said brightly. Oliver could see that Hal was not amused and he sighed.

“Look, it’s okay to be nervous. We all get nervous from time to time especially when the stakes are this high. But if you take a deep breath and think rationally for a minute, you’ll know that I’m right. Just think about the hell we’ve been going through these past few months. We got through that and we all came out relatively unscathed. That’s pretty huge, man. This will be a walk in the park compared to that,” Oliver said.

Hal groaned. “Yeah I know, I’ve just got to stop being such a bitch,” He grunted right as the woman came out from the back with a huge smile on her face.

She placed the black velvet box on the counter. “Here you go Mr. Jordan the engraving inside came out very nice,” She said while sliding the box over to him. “Have a look.” She said a hint of excitement in her eyes for the man in front of her.

Hal smiled, swallowed hard and reached for the box lifting it before slowly popping it open. He glanced at the platinum, one caret, princess cut ring and blew out a short breath. There were two rows of diamonds encrusted on each side a small opening between each row. He tilted the ring in the light so he could read the inscription and he smiled. It was the date they became an official couple and a small message after it.

“It’s beautiful,” He said barely above a whisper as he placed it gently back into the box and glanced up at the sales woman with a grin. “Thank you.” He turned to Oliver and held the open box out for him to see.

“That’s gorgeous,” Oliver said. He grinned at Hal. He could see that excitement was starting to overpower Hal’s nerves and that was a good thing. “Tess is going to love this,” he told him. Oliver was really happy for his friends. Both of them had been through hell in their lives and he was glad they’d found each other and now they were going to take this big step forward. “It is weird that you’re going to have a wife though. Not that you didn’t already since you have to check with Tess each time you want to go out,” he teased.

Hal rolled his eyes. “Shut it, you stop teasing me about my soon to be wife or I will choose someone else to be my soon to be best man,” He said smugly as he snapped the box closed while the sales lady went over to the register and got all the paper work together. He turned and leaned his back against the glass case. “I’m thinking of asking the day after tomorrow.” He said quietly.

Oliver laughed. “I dare you to try to find a better best man than me.” He smiled as a second sales associate appeared behind the counter and he pointed to the bracelet. “I’d like to purchase this, please,” he said. Oliver was only half-listening as she gave the standard spiel about how wonderful the piece was and he smiled and politely declined when she pointed out earrings and a necklace that would go well with it.

He handed her his card and turned back to Hal. “Have you figured out how you’re going to ask? Are you planning the whole big romantic proposal or are you just going to put it in her cereal?” he asked.

Hal arched an eyebrow. “Tess doesn’t really eat cereal,” He joked and shrugged. “I’m not sure. I don’t have a plan...what kind of pansy plans a proposal?” He shook his head. “I’m gonna wing it. Whenever I plan shit it blows up in my face.” He said before glancing at the bracelet his friend was buying. “That’s a pricey gift, what’s the occasion?” He asked as he watched Oliver’s face closely. They hadn’t really talked much about Chloe since the day Oliver broke into Luthor Corp.

Hal wasn’t even sure he had seen her since then. He put the ring in his pocket as the woman came back over with the paperwork and he signed a copy for her before taking his receipts and declining the offered bag she gave him. He looked back at Oliver and arched an eyebrow.

“No occasion,” Oliver said. He gave Hal a pointed look, not wanting to get into details in the middle of the jewelry store. He doubted Chloe would appreciate it if the story wound up in the tabloids the next day. He signed the receipt, put his wallet in his pocket and slid the box with the bracelet into the inner pocket of his leather jacket. As they made their way back outside, Oliver debated if he should say anything at all. He knew Hal didn’t like Chloe and he wasn’t sure how objective his friend would be. But at the same time, Hal was his best friend and he really needed to get this off his chest.

“I asked Chloe to move to Star City,” he explained as they walked down the sidewalk. “I asked her before everything went down with Lex and she hasn’t given me an answer yet. I know it’s a big deal and I’m asking a lot of her,” Oliver said quickly, before Hal had a chance to say anything. “I told her to take her time.” He shrugged, giving Hal a minute to process all that.

Hal tensed slightly, but immediately released the tension not wanting to upset his friend. He still wasn’t crazy about Chloe, but she was a large part of the reason they were finally able to get Lex behind bars and Hal couldn’t ignore that. He knew Oliver loved her and he wasn’t all too surprised that his friend had asked Chloe to come back with them. Hal pursed his lips as he slipped his hands inside his pockets.

“That’s a big step, but if you think it’s the right move for you guys I can respect that,” He said casually while they made their way down the street. He sent Oliver a sideways glance before letting out a small sigh. “It’s been a while since the whole Lex thing…” He said lightly, “Is it possible when you told her to take her time…you didn’t think she’d need all that much of it?” He asked quietly.

“Maybe,” Oliver admitted quietly. He felt guilty for saying it out loud, but he knew Hal wouldn’t judge him. “I guess I’m even more arrogant than everyone thought,” he joked. Oliver sighed. “Sorry,” he said as he dragged a hand through his hair. “I love her and I can’t imagine living in different states after we’ve been living together for months. I know it started out as a necessity because she had nowhere to go and I wanted to make sure she was safe, but it was more than that. Probably from the beginning,” he said truthfully. 

Oliver stopped walking and turned so he was facing Hal. “I guess I’m wondering why she has to think about it so much. I know how selfish that sounds,” he added. “I’m asking her to give up the place she’s lived her whole life and to move away from her family…is it too much? Is that why she hasn’t answered because she doesn’t know how to tell me that she doesn’t want to do it? I feel like an asshole, man. I told her to take her time and I meant it but it’s driving me crazy.” Oliver had never been good at being patient. He was also use to getting what he wanted and he’d never wanted anything as much as he wanted to be with Chloe. He just hoped that she felt the same way about him.

Hal studied his friend closely for a minute before shaking his head. “You’re not an asshole. I know you Oliver,” He said quietly. “If it was a feasible plan for you to just stay here, you’d do it so she didn’t have to leave. And I know that because you’d never ask someone to do something that you aren’t willing to do.” He told him with a shrug. “It’s okay to be upset. But maybe it’s also important to consider where she’s coming from too.”

Hal shifted and cocked his head to the side as he spoke. “You say when you guys moved in together it was about more than just keeping her safe for you...What about her? Because from what Tess mentioned she was planning on getting her own place when all of the Lex stuff blew over.” He said quietly. “So it’s possible that maybe she wasn’t on the same page as you, so it’s taking a little longer for her to catch up...it doesn’t mean she won’t get there.” He said before hesitating and pursing his lips.

“I can see how much you love her man...and I’m sure she’ll give you an answer before we leave, but on the off chance that she says no, which she most likely won’t I mean come on you're Oliver Queen,” He joked. “Where will the two of you go from there?”

“I will probably be coming up with frequent excuses to go to Metropolis,” Oliver said, shrugging. “I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t be disappointed if she says no, but I won’t hold it against her. She is really independent and I’m asking her to give up the only place she’s ever lived for me and that’s a lot to put on a person, even if I am Oliver Queen.” He rolled his eyes, but he smiled at Hal. He appreciated that his friend was trying to help despite the reservations he probably had about the whole thing. “Chloe and I are going to be okay no matter what she decides. I’m not letting her go,” he said matter-of-factly.

Hal noted the certainty in Oliver’s voice and he nodded. “I’m sure it’ll all work out,” He said as he patted Oliver on the back and motioned for his friend to follow him. “If we’re going to make it home at a decent hour we should probably get in the air.” He told him while moving forward. “And just for the record, I know I’m not Chloe’s biggest fan, but it’s clear to everyone including me that she’s crazy about you Oliver. I honestly don’t think you have much to worry about.” He told him quietly.

“Thanks, man,” Oliver said. He arched an eyebrow in Hal’s direction. “You really do need to work on that. Maybe now that some of the chaos around us has died down you can find it in that stubborn head of yours to give her a real chance. It would mean a lot to me and I’m sure your soon-to-be fiancée would appreciate it too,” he added, grinning. Oliver knew Hal was right and everything would work out. Even if Chloe didn’t come to Star City with him now, there was a chance she would change her mind in the future. Either way, Oliver would do everything he could to make sure Chloe was happy.

Hal rolled his eyes. “I suppose I can do that,” He told his friend lightly. “Anything for my soon to be fiancé...Oh yeah and you too,” He said with a smirk before his face grew serious. “I’ll talk to her before we leave,” He told him sincerely.

“That’s all I ask,” Oliver said. “For now anyway,” he joked. Oliver glanced at his watch, mentally calculating the time difference and how long the flight back to Metropolis would take. He didn’t know what excuse Hal had given Tess, but he’d texted Chloe and told her he was hanging out with Hal. Of course, that was before he’d known they were traveling by air to their destination. “We need to get back before people start asking questions,” he said.

Hal smirked. “Aw, are you worried your girlfriend is going to want to know where you are?” He teased. “Speaking of girlfriends I told Tess you needed me to run some important errand with you and we’d be gone for the day.” He said with a wide grin. “So you’ll have to come up with a good excuse,” He told him while patting him on the back before dropping his hands back into his pockets, his palm closing around the small box. He took a deep breath and gave Oliver a sideways glance. “Come on; let’s get back to Metropolis, so we can come home already.”

“Wow, this best man thing is already work,” Oliver teased. He figured he’d just tell Chloe that Hal had a surprise for Tess and leave it at that. She would respect Hal’s privacy and refrain from asking questions even though she’d probably be dying to know what it was. Oliver loved that she was so inquisitive. He loved everything about her and he couldn’t help letting Hal’s declaration of going home echo in his head. Oliver was looking forward to getting back to Star City and he really hoped the woman he loved would be at his side when he got there.

 

______

 

Chloe glanced at the computer screen in front of her, hands moving quickly against the keys as she finished up the last of her work from the office. Her lunch with Lois had run longer than expected and they might have done a little shopping afterwards, which possibly led to coffee and muffins and several other stops. By the time Chloe made her way back to work it was late and she had decided to take her work home. Oliver had text her earlier letting her know that he was out with Hal and she hadn’t seen Tess since she left the office a little over two hours ago.

Chloe lifted a hand to cover her yawn before turning her eyes back to the screen. She was already in a nightgown curled up on the big couch, legs beneath her body, a light blanket across her body as her laptop rested on her legs. Her eyes drifted to the clock and she wondered where exactly Oliver and Hal had gone that they still weren’t back yet.

She shook her head slightly glancing back at her work as she put the finishing touches on it. Chloe had done a lot of thinking earlier in the day and she’d finally made her decision, one that if she was honest with herself, she made about thirty seconds after the question was asked. She loved Oliver more than she thought possible and there was no way she would be able to wake up every morning with him several states away from her.

It wouldn’t be the same as it was now and even though she knew he meant it when he said they could have a long distance relationship, she didn’t want that. Chloe sighed lightly, saved her work and leaned her head against her arm as she shifted slightly on the couch. A slight breeze blew through the room from the partially open balcony door and she shivered pulling the blanket closer to her as she glanced at her mug of coffee a few feet in front of her on the coffee table.

Chloe pondered reaching out to finish the rest of it but decided against it seeing how it was so far away. She grinned to herself at her own laziness before letting her eyes close for a minute, resting them as she waited for Oliver to make his way home so she could finally give him the answer that she was pretty sure he’d been waiting for. Chloe just hoped after all the time she made him wait, he still wanted her.

Oliver practically pushed Hal out of the elevator when it reached his floor. His friend had had another panic attack the second the plane touched down in Metropolis and had started listing all the reasons Tess might say no. Oliver had spent the entire car ride reassuring him that he was overreacting. Each time Hal seemed like he was pulling himself together, he thought of something else and went off on another tangent. Oliver warned him that he was going to drive himself crazy before he had a chance to ask Tess the question. 

He rubbed the back of his neck as he waited impatiently for the elevator to reach the penthouse. Oliver figured it probably wasn’t a good sign that he’d been gone less than a day and he felt like he hadn’t seen Chloe in a month. He was going to have to pull himself together, take the advice he’d given Hal and just suck it up. He knew Chloe loved him and even if she decided to stay in Metropolis, they would still make things work. The doors opened into the penthouse and Oliver took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax as he walked out of the elevator.

“Chloe?” Oliver called. He shrugged off his jacket, leaving the jewelry box in the pocket and hung it in the closet. He didn’t want to risk Chloe putting two and two together if he told her that Hal was planning a surprise for Tess and he handed her a new bracelet. Even though Oliver knew Chloe would never say anything to Tess, he doubted Hal would be thrilled if she knew.

He walked into the living room and found Chloe curled up on the couch with her laptop and a blanket. “Hey Sidekick, how was your day?” Oliver pressed a kiss to the side of her head as he sat down beside her, draping his arm across her shoulders.

Chloe smiled, closed her laptop and placed it on the coffee table before moving her body and leaning against the arm of the couch stretching her legs out so they were resting across his. “Hey Hero, finally decided to come back did you?” She teased. “My day was nice, Lois and I spent some time together, which is always nice,” She told him lightly even as anxiety filled her stomach. She kept telling herself there was no need to be anxious; Oliver was the one who asked her to move to Star City with him. There was no way he had changed his mind, he’d told her to take as much time as she needed and he was nothing  if not a man of his word.

She gave him a small smile as she tilted her head to the side. “How about you? How was your day? Anything exciting happen while hanging out with Hal?”

“The day was good,” Oliver said. He rested his arm across her legs as he shifted so he was facing her on the couch. “I’m sorry I was gone a lot longer than I planned on being. Not that I planned on being gone at all since Hal just ambushed me this morning,” he clarified. “We had fun though. It was nice hanging out without any gloom and doom over our heads for a change.” He reached out, brushing her hair back from her face as he tried to read her expression. She seemed like she was anxious even though it was obvious she was trying not to be. He wondered what was going through her head.

“I’m glad you got to spend some time with Lois,” Oliver said. He stroked her cheek gently. “Did anything else come up today? I didn’t get any urgent calls so I assume everything is still running smoothly at the office.” He felt ridiculous making small talk about work instead of just asking her if something was wrong, but Oliver knew Chloe liked to do things on her own timetable.

She watched him for a minute before nodding. “I’m really glad you two had a good time…You deserve it. And things were fine, though I might have left for lunch and stayed out a bit longer than I planned to, which of course I blame on Lois,” She said with a grin, before swallowing heavily and moistening her lips. Chloe turned her head and pressed a kiss against his palm before taking it in her hands and placing it on her lap. “I actually have a couple of things I wanted to talk to you about if that’s okay,” She said softly.

“Of course that’s okay, Chloe,” Oliver replied. He tried not to let himself tense up as he waited for her to tell him what was on her mind. He had a feeling he knew what she was going to say and he needed to prepare himself for it. He’d told her that he would accept her decision to stay in Metropolis if that was what she wanted and he would do that. He just might need a couple of drinks to wallow in once he got home to his empty penthouse.

Chloe saw the tension in his shoulders and she brought his hand to her lips placing a light kiss there before meeting his eyes. “First, I want you to know that I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. These past few months have been more than amazing,” She said softly with a small smile, “And not just because of us, though I won’t lie, you are my favorite part about the last few months,” She told him with a wink as she used her thumb to caress his hand. “That being said, this week is going to be my last week working for you at Queen Industries.” She told him matter-of-factly.

“If you want me to put in an official letter of notice I can do that,” She said while squeezing his hand lightly and pausing giving him a minute to digest the information she’d just given him.

Oliver frowned, confused. He hadn’t expected that but he realized he probably should have. He’d offered Chloe the job because he’d wanted to get to know her and see if she was the right fit for the team. It was never meant to be a permanent thing and he supposed now that Lex was out of the way, Chloe would have an easier time getting a job that she actually wanted. “Okay,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about anything official. I’ll let it slide just this once,” he teased, trying to keep the mood light. Oliver could tell that she had more to say, but first he needed to make something clear to her.

“Chloe, I never expected you to work for me forever. I know it’s no one’s idea of a dream job to be locked in an office doing stuff that you can’t tell anyone about. But I hope you know that you’ve been a tremendous help to me and to Tess these past few months and especially the past few weeks with all the transitions we were going through with her acquisition of Luthor Corp. It means a lot to me that you hung in there with us.”

Her face softened and she ran a hand down his arm. “I know that Ollie,” She told him softly and bit her lower lip. “I have more to add to that…A proposition if you will, but we’re going to come back to it because I have a list and I’d like to go through it in order,” She told him lightly before taking deep breath.

“Secondly, I should probably tell you in advance, that when we get back to Star City your phone bill might be slightly higher than normal since I’m going to have to talk to Lois constantly to make up for the fact that she isn’t in the same state as me anymore. We’re a little needy and as much as we’d both like to use Clark as our own personal taxi, it would be sort of selfish of us you know?” She asked softly and before he could say anything she placed her hand over his, her gaze never leaving his.

“The third thing I have to say is I’m sorry,” She whispered as she shifted closer to him and cupped his cheek. “I’m so sorry I made you wait so long for my answer. You have to know that I knew I was going to say yes about thirty seconds after you asked me…But I was scared.” She told him quietly and glanced away from him. “I was afraid to leave my friends and Lois…and I was scared of moving in with you and taking this huge leap because you mean so much to me. I’m not used to depending on people,” She explained softly, “But somewhere along the line I started depending on you and I was just scared…but the thought of being here without you scares me more.”

Chloe lifted her hand and cupped his cheek. “I love you so much Ollie…and if you still want me to, I’d really like to come home with you…” She said softly her voice trailing off as a hint of uncertainty filled her face.

“Is there really a question in your mind if I still want you?” Oliver asked. “You’re smarter than that, Chloe,” he reminded her before taking her face in his hands and covering her mouth with his. When she’d started talking about phone bills and used the word “we” Oliver had barely stopped himself from cutting her off so he could kiss her. He felt the tension slipping away as he kissed her, slowly deepening the kiss as he let his hand drift into her hair. He couldn’t believe she was actually saying yes. He felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest.

Oliver was forced to break the kiss when air became an issue and he rested his forehead against hers as he met her eyes. “I love you too, Chloe, and you’ve just made me so happy. You can make as many calls as you want,” he teased. “I can’t tell you what it means to me that you’re willing to take this leap with me. I promise I won’t let you down,” he said quietly. Oliver knew what a drastic change this would be for her and he would do everything he could to make it as easy on her as possible. He was just so relieved that she’d yes.

Chloe laughed lightly, her eyes watering slightly, happiness filling her chest as the tension she’d been carrying around with her all day finally eased. “There isn’t anyone else in the world I’d take it for...But I trust you and I love you. I might get a little homesick at first, but I want you to know with you is where I want to be whether that’s in California, or halfway across the globe...my home is where you are and I’m going to be honest and tell you that, that terrifies me...But I’m okay with that,” She said lightly before leaning forward and placing another kiss against his lips.

Oliver deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms tightly around her as he pulled her body even closer to his. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was that she loved him as much as she did. He pulled back when air started to become an issue and pressed small kisses to her cheeks, her forehead and the tip of her nose before he smiled at her and rested his cheek against hers. “You said you had something else you wanted to talk to me about. A proposition?” he asked. Now that he knew she was coming home with him, he wasn’t anxious about whatever else she wanted to talk about. He knew they could handle anything together.

She pushed back from him gently, her cheeks flushed with happiness as she nodded, a bright smile on her face. “I do. I was thinking you know that I’ve worked with some of the guys in the past...and that whole snatch and grab thing in Luthor Corp went well...What if I did that more often.” She asked him lightly, before pushing herself onto her knees and turning to face him a spark in her eyes as she spoke. “I like the thought of helping and even though Lex is behind bars, you know he still has a ton more labs out there that need to be dealt with and dismantled.” She explained to him rationally.

“I could work with the team on a full time basis...doing what I did for you, I mean if that’s something you wouldn’t mind. It might even free up some of your time so you aren’t so stressed and it would give me a way to help out and feel useful without running into danger every week and giving you gray hair...it’s totally a win, win situation.” She told him brightly as she rubbed a hand over his arm.

“I’ve decided that I don’t want to spend the rest of my life behind some desk and while I love being a reporter and the thrill that comes with chasing a story...helping people, giving heroes a purpose, it’s so much more fulfilling for me.” She said while watching his face and attempting to read the expression there. “Plus I kinda like seeing you in green leather,” She joked while winking at him.

“So...Since I’m going to be in Star City where you and your team are,” She pointed to herself, “You’ve said yourself I’m an asset...I can follow directions,” She pursed her lips, “Okay I can work on following directions...” When he still didn’t say anything she let out a dramatic sigh. “Ollie, say something.”

“You are the only person I know who can consistently catch me off guard,” Oliver admitted. When she’d told him that she didn’t want to work at Queen Industries anymore, he’d just assumed that meant she wasn’t interested in working for him at all. It wasn’t that he hadn’t expected her to want to help out with the team; he’d just assumed it would be on a case by case basis or something. He should have known better. Chloe had the same drive he did and the need to help people and make the world safer wasn’t really the kind of thing a person could turn on and off.  
  
He caressed her cheek again as he watched her for a moment. “I love you,” he told her. “If that’s what you want to do, I think it’s a great idea.” Oliver grinned. “If you think this is a good setup…” His voice trailed off and he tilted his head in the direction of his equipment room. “…wait until you see what I have in my apartment in Star City. It’s probably a good thing you mentioned your little green leather fetish so I’ll have a way to get you out of that room every once and awhile,” he teased before leaning over and running his lips over her neck. When he got to her pulse point, Oliver traced it with his tongue and then sucked the skin into his mouth as he let his hand tangle in her hair.

Chloe moaned as she let her head drop to the side, her hand gripping the back of his neck as she shifted her body and climbed over him so she was sitting on his lap. She let her other hand drop to his arm as her eyelids lowered slightly, her gaze drifting towards his equipment room. “The set-up there is better than here? Are there a lot of computers?” She asked while moaning again. “That’s sort of exciting,” She whispered before moving her body even closer so she was pressed against his chest, her heartbeat picking up speed as she moved her hand from his arm and slid it down his chest and under his shirt.

“Let’s pretend you’re not more turned on by the thought of new computers than you are by me, okay?” Oliver asked, mostly teasing. He pushed the nightgown she was wearing up as he ran his hands over her bare thighs. “It’s better for my fragile ego that way,” he said as his lips moved along her collarbone.

Chloe snorted. “Fragile ego my ass and I’m not more turned on by the computers than you,” She said as she as she bit her lower lip when his hands moved further up her thighs, her breath hitching in her throat. “It’s probably an equal amount,” She said a hint of mischief in her eyes as she swallowed hard and moistened her lips. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she reached for the belt of his pants and undid it slowly before meeting his gaze humor dancing in her eyes.

“That’s very cute, Sidekick,” Oliver said. He grasped the hem of her nightgown in his hands and quickly tugged it over her head, carelessly tossing the garment on the floor as his eyes darkened as they roamed over her nearly naked body. He skimmed his hands down her sides and in a quick move; he had her flat on her back on the couch. Oliver smirked at the surprise in her eyes and hooked his fingers into the waistband of her panties, slowly lowering them down her legs and tossing those aside as well.

“If you’re still thinking about computers in a few minutes we’re going to have a serious problem,” he teased. Oliver held her gaze for a moment and then dipped his head to run his tongue over her inner thigh. He had every intention of completely robbing her of the ability to think.

Chloe sucked in a sharp breath, her entire body warming and at the feel of his tongue against her thigh her mouth went dry. A wave of anticipation shot through her as arousal built in her lower belly. Her gaze never left his head as she spoke. “Still thinking about what?” She asked voice breathy as she tried not to move her hips forward.

Oliver smirked, lifting his head to meet her eyes. “That’s more like it,” he said. His hand skimmed over her thigh and he gently encouraged her to spread her legs wider for him. He draped his other arm across her waist to keep her from moving too much and lowered his head between her legs once again.


	23. Chapter 23

The tea kettle whistled and Clark moved forward shutting it off and pulling it from the stove. He moved over to the mug he had already taken out and poured a generous amount of water in it before replacing the kettle on the stove. He glanced over his shoulder towards the living room as he bobbed the tea bag in and out of the mug, his eyes falling on Lois as she sat in front of the fire place, blanket across her legs, arms wrapped around her body.

He swallowed hard his chest tightening. It had been less than an hour since Oliver and Chloe left and the minute the car had driven off the farm, Lois had broken down into tears. The sight alone had made his heart ache. Clark couldn’t believe that Chloe was moving to Star City, but what was crazier was he couldn’t believe he was just hearing about this now. Then again it was possible Lois had mentioned it to him in passing and he forgot. Clark winced before shaking his head, lifting the tea and carrying towards the living room.

He glanced at the fire that was flickering in front of his girlfriend and sat on the couch next to her slowly. He sent her a sideways glance and held out the mug to her. “Here, this will help relax you a little,” He told her softly. Lois wasn’t normally the type to break down crying, so Clark wasn’t exactly sure how to deal with it. He wanted to help her, make her feel better, but he didn’t know how. When she took the mug from him he wrapped an arm around her and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “It’s going to be okay Lois...You’ll still see Chloe all the time,” He told her quietly.

“I know that Clark, and thank you,” Lois said. She gave him a teary smile before looking down at the tea he had made for her. It was an incredibly sweet gesture and she knew he was concerned since she wasn’t normally the type to just break down and cry. “I’m not crying because I’m upset.” Lois laughed when she saw the confused look on Clark’s face. She set the tea down on the table beside her and leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek. “I know Chloe and I will still see each other all the time and we’ll talk every day. We’re family. It doesn’t matter how far away we live.”

Her chest tightened and she felt fresh tears threatening. Lois quickly brushed them aside, forcing herself to get a grip so she could try and explain what she was feeling to Clark before he freaked out. “I’m really happy,” she explained. “These past few years have been rough to put it mildly and Chloe has taken the brunt of that herself. She watched me die and then she died. There was all that stuff with her mom and every disgusting thing Lex did to her including fire her from the job she wanted her entire life. Now look at her, Clark, she’s got an amazing guy who loves her more than anything and she’s going to work with a team of superheroes to make the world a better place.”  
  
Lois leaned against Clark, letting her head fall on his shoulder as she wrapped her arm across his waist. “Then there’s us. We’re working for a real editor again, you’re saving the world on an hourly basis and we’re here together. I’m so happy that I can’t really believe it,” she said as a few more tears slipped down her cheeks.

Clark’s face softened and he reached out brushing the tears from her cheeks as he shifted slightly so his body was facing hers. He gave her a warm smile. “You’re right…She does seem really happy and I’m happy for her too,” He said lightly before cupping her cheek and meeting her eyes. “I know what you mean it all seems sort of…surreal. Like this is some kind of dream, and you know what, if it is I never want to wake up because being here with you…working at the Daily Planet…helping people, this is the happiest I’ve ever been and I owe a lot of that to you Lois.”

He leaned in and placed a light kiss against her lips. When he pulled back he caressed her cheek with his thumb. “If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t be working at the Planet to begin with and you have no idea how glad I am that you said yes to us living together,” He told her quietly as warmth filled his heart. Ever since he got together with Lois and then told her his secret…his life had been looking up and he attributed that to her.

“I feel the same way, Smallville,” Lois admitted. She shifted away from his shoulder so she could meet his eyes again. “You asked me to move in with you and a typical Lois Lane response should have been for me to run screaming in the other direction and send you a postcard from wherever I ended up. But that thought never crossed my mind.” She ran her hand over his stomach, absently playing with his t-shirt between her fingers. “I love you and I love living with you.” She snuggled into his shoulder again and let out a quiet sigh.  
  
This was not how she pictured her life. Lois remembered when she first moved to Smallville and she’d been horrified by the farmer’s life and the small town and all she’d wanted was to be back in the big city where everything was fast-paced and exciting. She’d been so naïve back then. She didn’t need constant excitement. Sure, it was fun and she liked getting into trouble solving mysteries or uncovering a big story. But this moment with Clark, just the two of them sitting on the couch and talking, was by far the best thing she could imagine and she wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Clark tightened his arm around her pulling Lois even closer to him as he rested his head against her, his eyes on the fire in front of them. “I love you too Lois, more than you know,” He told her quietly before placing a light kiss to the side of her head and glancing back at the fire. Since the minute he found out about his alien origin all Clark had ever wanted was a normal life. He had tried and failed to achieve it. But as he sat on the couch in their farmhouse, watching the fire Lois in his arms, he’d never felt more normal than in this moment right here.

 

______

 

Tess walked through the large closet in the master bedroom surveying the rows of clothes hanging there. She’d already packed all of her essentials and she just wanted to make sure she hadn’t left anything behind that wasn’t supposed to be left behind. She knew there was no reason to be this thorough because she would probably be back in Metropolis more often now that she had Luthor Corp. and the Daily Planet to keep an eye on. But she knew how tired Hal was of being away from California and she wanted to make sure everything was taken care of since they were going to be flying back with Oliver and Chloe in the morning.

She didn’t see anything that she couldn’t live without so Tess closed the closet drawer and walked into the master bathroom. There were bags on the counter of stuff they would need to use one more time in the morning but other than those, all the drawers and cabinets were empty. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror and for once Tess didn’t think she looked tired.

The last few days had been a cakewalk compared to the stressful past few months. She was really looking forward to going home and just letting things get back to normal. Or as normal as life could be when her boyfriend was a superhero who took semi-frequent trips to outer space when there was danger.  
  
Shaking off her thoughts, Tess headed down the hall in search of said boyfriend to see what he wanted to do for dinner. “Hal, where are you?” she called. He’d told her that he was going to bring some trash out to the bin, but that had been almost twenty minutes ago. It wasn’t like him to be quiet for such a long time.

Hal heard her call out to him and he pursed his lips. Ever since he picked up the ring from Coast City he’d been trying to decide what the best way to propose to Tess would be and so far nothing he had come up with had worked. Hal didn’t want to go for super sappy because that just wasn’t him, but at the same time he wanted this to be a moment they’d remember. He took a deep breath and called out to her.

“I’m out on the balcony Red, join me won’t you,” He teased lightly, a smile on his face as he took a deep breath. It was now or never and since never wasn’t an option it looked like now would work.

“Are you trying to freeze to death? We’re not back in California yet,” Tess teased. She considered grabbing a jacket to throw on over the blouse and skirt she had worn to work, but she decided against walking all the way back to the bedroom to get one from the closet. She made her way outside and saw Hal standing near the railing with the backdrop of the city behind him. “What are you doing out here?” she asked. Tess couldn’t read the expression on his face, but she thought he looked nervous. “Are you okay?” she asked uncertainly.

Hal had been acting strange since the day he’d disappeared early in the morning with Oliver and hadn’t returned until she’d gotten home from work. He’d told her they’d needed some guy bonding time and Tess figured that was a good thing since their relationship had been strained since they’d started this investigation. But Hal had seemed anxious since then and Tess had just assumed it was because he wanted to go home. She really hoped nothing else was wrong.

Hal nodded as he studied her face seeing the hint of worry in her eyes. He felt slightly bad for putting that look on her face, but he knew it would be gone soon. "Yeah, actually, I'm really good." He told her softly before a grin pulled at his lips as he met her eyes. "Do you remember the first time we met?" He asked softly, affection in his eyes as he pushed away the nerves that had been plaguing him all day.

“Yes,” Tess said, unsure why he was bringing that up. She walked out to join him at the railing, ignoring the shiver that went through her as her body adjusted to the shock of cold air. She reminded herself she’d be back in California in less than twenty-four hours. “You told me that if I wasn’t Oliver’s friend you would have had me out of my clothes within the hour.” Tess arched an eyebrow as she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. “I told you that if you weren’t Oliver’s friend you would have been wearing your drink. That was a fun night,” she teased.

Hal smirked as he wrapped an arm around her waist. He could see the confusion in her eyes but he ignored it. "I most definitely did say that and I still say it's true," he joked before cupping her cheek in his hand. "There is something you don't know about the night though." He told her quietly, his gaze never leaving hers.  
  
"When I saw you...You quite literally took my breath away," he whispered. "I saw you and I quite literally could not think of one intelligent thing to say for the first two minutes you were near me and then Oliver said something and I blurting out the first thing that had been on my mind, which of course was about getting you out of your clothes." He told her quietly while caressing her cheek.  
  
"Did you know that I still get that same feeling from the first Night I met you?" He asked her softly. "That every time I see your face or look into your eyes I know without a doubt that I'm the luckiest man on earth...Did you know that?" He said, moving a hand under her chin so she couldn't look away from him.

“Hal,” Tess whispered, not sure what to say. The look in his eyes was intense and there was something in his voice she couldn’t place. But his words were so wonderful and she couldn’t help the way her heart skipped a beat. Hal wasn’t the kind of guy who got sentimental all the time and she still had no idea why he wanted to take a trip down memory lane now, but she moved closer to him, tightening her grip on him as she stared into his eyes.

“You make me feel like the only woman in the world when you look at me,” she told him quietly as her fingertips brushed against the ends of his hair. “Despite what I still maintain would have been a terrible pickup line, I loved the way you looked at me that night. I was so broken back then and I couldn’t allow myself to consider the possibility of a relationship but when I went home that night I thought about you.”

Tess paused and tried to ignore the fact that she knew her cheeks were probably turning red. She’d never told Hal this but for some reason, she wanted to know. “I thought about the way you put your hand on my hip when you helped me up from the bar stool. It was just a polite gesture but I really liked the feeling of your hand on my body. You still make me shiver every time you touch me,” she said.

Hal's throat went dry as his hands tightened on her. Several images of her body naked and writhing beneath him and above him invaded his mind and he heard himself groan. When his eyes opened they were slightly darker than before and he swallowed heavily to moisten his throat. He shook himself out of his naughty thoughts, they'd be time for that later after she said yes.  
  
Hal shifted, gripping her shoulders lightly and pushing her back a couple of feet gently before sending her a soft smile. "It means the world that you told me that," he said, voice low before he slipped both hands into his pockets gripping the box between his fingers and pausing as he met her eyes. "You Tess Mercer are the most stubborn; most take charge and independent woman I’ve ever known.” He told her while cocking his head to the side.  
  
"You're confident, but you also let me see the vulnerable side of you. You're brave, but you aren't too prideful to let me help you when you need it. You have the most amazing heart. You're warm and caring and just...so amazing that I actually look at you sometimes and wonder why you're with me." He said quietly before giving her a small grin.  
  
"These past five years have been the best of my entire life and I've know for a while now that there's never going to be anyone else for me. You're it Red," he said softly as he pulled both hands out of his pocket, popping the box open and bending down in front of her on one knee. "I want to know that I'm going to spend the rest of my life waking up to you in the morning..." He paused meeting her eyes once again. "Tess Mercer, will you marry me?"

Tess gasped; one hand flying to her mouth as it dropped open in shock. Her eyes widened as she stared at Hal for a moment before letting her gaze fall to the box in his hands and the diamond ring glistening in the center of it. Her heart was pounding so fast that she half expected it to burst out of her chest then and there. She felt warmth on her cheeks despite the cold and it took Tess’s brain another minute to register that she was crying. “Yes,” she said quickly. “Yes, I will marry you.”

Even as the words came out of her mouth, Tess couldn’t believe this was happening. Hal had just proposed to her. They had never discussed marriage and she had no idea he’d been thinking about it. She’d had no idea it was even something she’d wanted until the second she’d heard the question from his lips. Then she knew that she wanted to be his wife more than she’d ever wanted anything in her life.

Hal grinned and stood up, taking the ring out and tossing the box aside carelessly as he took Tess's hand and slid the ring onto her finger. His heart warmed when he saw it resting on her finger. He lifted her hand, pressed a kiss to the ring, and then cupped her cheeks, brushing her tears away with his thumbs. "I love you so much," he whispered before capturing his lips with hers.

Tess returned the kiss, pressing herself tightly against him as the kiss deepened until they were both breathless. She pulled back, gasping for air and an actual giggle flew out of her throat. "We're getting married!" She hugged Hal as tight as she could as she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that this was actually happening. Hal loved her enough to want to spend the rest of his life with her. She'd never known it was possible to be this ecstatic.  
  
She pulled back from the hug enough to see his face and dropped her hands to his chest. Tess stared at the diamond on her finger and felt her eyes welling up with fresh tears. "I can't believe you planned this and I had no idea. We never talked about getting married," she said. Tess felt like her thoughts were all over the place. She had ten million questions in her head, but mainly she just wanted to make sure this was really happening.

Hal chuckled as he cradled her face in his hands. “I went and picked out the ring one week after the barbeque at my brother’s house,” He told her softly. “Of course the original design wasn’t good enough for you so I had them tweak it a bit, which is why I didn’t get a chance to pick it up until recently.” He hesitated and pursed his lips before shrugging.

“I know we never talked about it...But you mean everything to big, I just...I felt we were both ready for this step. Like we were on the same page and if I asked...you’d say yes,” He told her while stroking her cheek before smirking slightly. “Though it’s possible I might have been a bit nervous...” He let his voice trail off as he gave her a sheepish look.

“You, nervous?” Tess shook her head even as her smile widened. “Hal Jordan doesn’t get nervous let alone over some woman,” she teased. Tess pressed a kiss to his lips and then giggled again. She couldn’t seem to stop herself. She remembered that barbeque. Hal’s extended family had been there and she’d spent most of the afternoon playing with his nephew. Hal had come over at one point and whispered in her ear, telling her how much he loved her. Tess had found it sweet at the time, but now the moment meant even more to her.

“I love you so much,” she said. “I can’t even describe how happy I am right now. I’m giggling, Hal. Giggling!” she cried, outraged.

Hal let out a loud laugh as he rolled his eyes. “You’re adorable,” He told her affectionately before smirking, a hint a mischief in his eyes. “Now come on fiancé,” He said with a grin, “I don’t know about you, but I think we should go consummate this engagement.” Hal bent down and lifted Tess up tossing her over his shoulder as he made his way back into the apartment. “Look I’m practicing the whole carrying you over the threshold thing. By the time we’re married I’ll be a pro,” He teased.

Tess shifted in his arms and kissed her way up his neck to his ear. “If you keep throwing around words like ‘fiancée’ and ‘married’ I don’t think we’re going to be leaving the bedroom long enough for you to carry me anywhere,” she said as she sucked his earlobe into her mouth. “Have I mentioned that I love you and I can’t wait until you’re my husband?” she asked as she traced patterns on his chest as he carried her toward the bedroom.

Hal groaned when he felt her tongue near his ear. “Keep _that_ up and we aren’t going to make it to the bedroom.” He said, voice husky. He couldn’t believe how happy he was. He didn’t even know it was possible to be this happy. Tess was going to be his wife...his _wife_ the thought alone made him want to giggle like a girl, though there was no way in hell he was going to do that. He glanced at Tess catching her eye and smiled. “I love you too and I can’t wait for you to be my wife either...Mrs. Hal Jordan,” He smirked, humor on his face. “That’s got a nice ring to it.”

A tingle went down her spine as his voice echoed in her head. “Mrs. Hal Jordan,” she repeated. “I could get used to that.” She grabbed his face, turning him toward her and kissed him hard. Tess coaxed his mouth open and tangled her tongue with his, groaning softly into his mouth. “I love you. Now move faster because your future wife wants to get you out of your clothes,” she said. The night they met flashed into her head again and she couldn’t believe how far they had come in five years. She’d never known it was possible to be this happy.

Hal quickened his pace as he moved to the bedroom. “Yes ma’am...we haven’t even had the wedding yet and already you’re giving me orders.” He joked before kissing her again. Hal was so engrossed in melding their lips together that he bumped into the wall lightly making him break the kiss with a chuckle. He glanced at her and his heart warming as his chest filled with happiness. He was pretty sure this night was going to go down in history as the best night of his life...at least so far.

 

______

 

“Thanks, Kevin, we’ll see you tomorrow morning,” Oliver said. He disconnected the call with his pilot and set his cell phone down on the desk. He turned his attention to the laptop and scrolled through his email to see if anything important had come up while they’d been at the farm. Oliver didn’t see anything urgent and closed the lid on the laptop.

Everything was set for their trip to Star City in the morning or at least it was on his end. Chloe was still upstairs packing a few last minute things. Oliver had a feeling she was already packed and just needed some time to herself after saying goodbye to Lois and Clark so he was keeping himself busy and giving her space.  
      
Oliver poured himself a glass of scotch and sat down on the couch. Chloe had been quiet in the car and he couldn’t help feeling guilty that it was his fault that she was upset. He knew that she loved him and she’d made her choice but he also knew that the adjustment was going to be hard on her for awhile.

He planned on doing whatever he could to make it easier for her. There was a part of him that still couldn’t believe she had agreed to move in with him, let alone move with him to a different state. Oliver knew how lucky he was. The sound of footsteps on the stairs caught his attention and he set his glass down as he turned his head to watch Chloe make her way into the room.   

“Hey Sidekick,” he said. “Did you finish packing?”

Chloe glanced up slightly startled by Oliver’s voice. She nodded while walking over to the couch and plopping down gently on the couch next to him. She pulled her legs up and rested against his side. “Hey, and yea, everything is packed and ready to go. I don’t have much, just a few boxes,” She told him softly as she rested a hand against his stomach, her chest tightening slightly as she laid against him.

She let out a small sigh as she glanced towards the balcony. Chloe couldn’t stop picturing the look on her cousin’s face and she and Oliver were leaving the farm. She knew that Lois was happy for her and glad that she’d finally found and amazing guy to love her, but she’d also seen the tears in Lois’s eyes and she hated that her leaving had upset her cousin.

Chloe had been so close to breaking down and crying on the ride back to Metropolis, but she hadn’t wanted to unintentionally make Oliver feel guilty and so when they got back to the penthouse she’d gone upstairs under the guise of finishing up packing so she could have some time to herself. “How about you? All ready?”

“Yeah, I don’t really bring a lot of stuff with me when I come here so it’s easier to travel back and forth,” Oliver said. He kept clothes and other necessities in Metropolis along with his spare gear. All he usually needed was his laptop and his phone. Oliver wrapped his arms around Chloe and pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Are you hungry? I could order us something. Or we could watch a movie,” he offered. Oliver knew she was upset and he wanted to do something to take her mind off it.

She tilted her head back and gave him a light smile. “Sure, how about some Thai food?” She asked lightly while wrapping an arm around his waist. She had so many questions about his place in Star City, but she didn’t want to bombard him with questions. She pressed her face against his chest tightening her grip on him and hesitated before speaking. “I’m a little nervous,” She confessed to him quietly.

“That’s understandable,” Oliver said. He knew Chloe had only been to Star City once and aside from his office building and her hotel room, she hadn’t really taken any time to explore the city. “There’s a really great Thai place right down the street from my place in Star City,” he told her as he twisted her hair around his fingers. “It’s better than the one here. The Italian restaurants are better too and wait until you see the view from the balcony.” He pressed another kiss to the top of her head. “The ocean on one side and the city on the other,” he said.

Chloe smiled. She had only been to Star City once before and she barely counted it as a visit. She was slightly apprehensive, but at the same time excited. The only thing that made her a little sad was the fact that Lois wouldn’t be there with them. “I expect no less from you,” She teased.

“You realize you’re going to have to take me to the beach right?” She asked while tilting her head and grinning at him. “I’ve never been to one before.” She said while shifting her body so she was lying on her back with her head on his lap that way she could look at him as she spoke. “And you’ll show me around town before you run off to work so I know where things are?” She asked while running her fingers over his arm lightly.

“I can do that,” Oliver assured her. “Not that I’d ever admit this to anyone but you…” He paused, giving her a stern look before tapping his finger against her nose. “But Coast City, where Hal and Tess live has better beaches than we do so we’ll go there for your first beach trip. We can let Hal think it was his idea,” he teased. Oliver was confident Hal would finally make a genuine effort as far as Chloe was concerned once they were all back in California. Plus, Oliver figured his best friend would be too excited about his engagement to remember that he disliked Chloe.

“I’ll be more than happy to give you a private tour of the city once we get there,” Oliver said. “We can start with the important things like all the best places to buy coffee,” he teased.

“Yay!” She paused biting her lower lip as humor danced in her eyes. “I did not just do that, but thank god that was going to be my next request. It’s very important to make sure I have somewhere I can get coffee as you know or I will waste away,” She joked. Chloe reached up and cupped his cheek a hint of concern crossing her face. “You okay Hero? You look like something is bothering you.” She asked lightly.

“Nothing is bothering me,” Oliver assured her. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. “I’m just happy that you seem excited about this. I know it’s a big change to move to a strange city, but I want you to be happy there, Chloe.” Maybe he was a little nervous about the whole thing but Oliver really did think Chloe would adjust well. He also knew there would be plenty of wedding planning to distract her because Oliver had no doubt Tess would be asking Chloe for help. But he couldn’t tell her about that just yet.

Chloe’s face softened as she sent him a warm smile. “It’s going to be different, but Ollie I’m going to be happy wherever you are, don’t you know that?” She asked him softly as she shifted again. “I might be nervous, and for the first couple of weeks I might really miss Lois, but never doubt for once second I’m exactly where I want to be.” She told him matter-of-factly. “I love you and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you,” She whispered while sitting up and pressing a soft kiss against his jaw.

“I love you too, Chloe,” Oliver replied. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly. “I would do anything for you too,” he said. Oliver kissed her again, lightly brushing his nose against hers. “Now I believe you said something about Thai food. I should probably make a call. Do you want to find a movie to watch while we wait?” he asked as he gently detangled himself from her and walked over to the desk to get his phone. 

He couldn’t help thinking it was almost funny how their relationship had progressed. They’d started out as strangers with a common enemy and less than six months later Chloe was the most important person in his life. Oliver refused to think that Lex deserved any of the credit for that. But on the other hand, he knew the idea that he had brought them together would probably piss Lex off so Oliver was okay with it.

Chloe grinned as she watched him move over to his desk. “I could pick out a movie…Or we could come up with a more active way to spend our time,” She said letting her voice trail off as her eyes followed his movements. She still couldn’t believe how far they’d come since their first conversation in the elevator at his company. If someone had told her then that she’d be madly in love with Oliver Queen, Chloe would have laughed in their face. But the truth was, she could barely remember what life was like without him.

Oliver smirked at her as he picked up the phone to call the Thai place for their delivery. They’d ordered in so much over the past few months that there was no need to consult the menu. “It’s up to you, Sidekick,” he said. “I’m yours to do what you want with.” He winked at her and then turned away, bringing the phone to his ear as he waited patiently for someone to answer.

It was nice just spending time alone with Chloe and not worrying that the world was going to end at any second. Oliver knew the trouble would always be out there, but he also knew it was important to take advantage of the quiet moments while they lasted and he planned to spend the night doing just that.

Chloe grinned. “Hm, I think I like the sound of that Mr. Queen,” She said as she let her body fall to the couch, her muscles relaxing as her body sunk into the couch. Chloe knew their life was never going to be easy and that there would always be another bad guy trying to kill one or both of them, but none of that mattered. All that mattered was that they were happy and together.


End file.
